Hidemi Takamatsu of Takamatsu and Torben Pedersen of Hasfarm Youngplants at the IFEX in Tokyo, Japan.
Queen cut flower kalanchoes
The Queen cut flower kalanchoes are a new introduction of Knud Jepsen, a Danish breeder of kalanchoes. The Queen branded cut flowers are known for their large flowers with strong bright colours and guaranteed vase life of at least three weeks. Moreover, the variety is ethylene resistant, which extends the shelf life in the supermarkets.
Strong interest
According to Torben, there is a strong interest for the Queen cut flowers in Japan. "Takamatsu, our distributor of potted kalanchoes was interested in the cut flowers from the very beginning. They quickly saw the potential of the flowers. According to Takamatsu, the Japanese growers and consumers, especially the younger generation, are interested in new flowers. Of course the cut chrysanthemum is still the most popular, and we, therefore, do not and probably cannot compete with this flower. We are positioning this product as a niche product and it turns out it works. The prices of the firstly harvested cut flowers are high; the price reached 250 yen (1.47 euro) per stem at the auction, two weeks ago."
Trials throughout Japan
Currently, one Japanese grower is selling the cut flowers and trials are being conducted at seven other growers throughout Japan, from North to South. They are testing how the flowers perform in different parts of Japan, because they are intended for the local market. According to Torben, the cut flower kalanchoes have some transportation limits. "They have to stand up and need to be transported at minimum 12 degrees Celsius environment. So, regarding efficiency, the flowers should be cultivated in different parts of Japan and distributed to the local market."
Boost Queen potted kalanchoes sales
According to Torben, the popularity of the cut flower kalanchoe might also boost the sales of the Queen potted kalanchoe which has already been on the Japanese market for more than 15 years. "The market for the Queen potted kalanchoe is stable, but I think that the Queen cut flowers might increase the sales of the Queen potted kalanchoes. Just like the Queen cut flower kalanchoes, the potted kalanchoes have a long shelf life. So, I expect that increasingly more customers will link the brand name Queen with good quality and long shelf life."
For more information
Hasfarm YoungPlants
Torben Pedersen
Email: torben@greenex.com
www.hasfarmyoungplants.com
Knud Jepsen a/s
Louise B. Jepsen
T: +45 87 64 15 32
Email: louise@queen.dk
www.queen.dk
Takamatsu
Hidemi Takamatsu
Email: takamatsu@tacoflower.jp
www.tacoflower.jp