Lyda De La Espriella at the Proflora in Bogota, Colombia.
Lack of knowledge end consumer
According to De La Espriella, the demand for the heliconia is increasing, but only for some species. "We see an increasing demand from countries like Saudi Arabia, China and some US states for the bird of paradise, Wagnerian and bihai heliconias. Unfortunately, these are not only the most popular ones, but also often the only ones people know. This is a pity, as there are more than 123 different heliconia species. The main reason why these other varieties are not that well-known is because they are poorly promoted. There is a lack of knowledge regarding how to commercialise it," she says.
Lack of knowledge within chain
The knowledge of cultivating and handling the flower within the chain also seems to be poor. "The flowers are often grown under nets and there is not much aid to support the growers with the cultivation and transportation of these flowers. The demand from Latin America and the Caribbean Islands, Russia and Europe, for example, decreased drastically as the flowers loads are consolidated with traditional flowers to reduce the costs. The flowers are shipped in a flower freezer in the aircraft and this is what burns the flower. This all is a consequence of the lack of knowledge of the flower."
How to solve these issues
"The heliconias became popular about 20 years ago. Unfortunately, since then the demand for these flowers has increased a bit, but not drastically," says De La Espriella. So, how can these issues be solved? "It all starts with the quality of the product. Asocolflores, a non-profit organization that represents and defends the interests of Colombian flower growers and exporters, is starting a campaign that will increase the quality of flowers and make the quality of Colombian heliconias more equal; they will promote growing these flowers in a greenhouse." Heliexport is also supporting their growers in several ways to achieve the highest quality products and they are also closely involved in the supply chain, which is the next important point. "Together with the growers we discuss the requirements and rules for exporting. In this way, we try to keep the quality high during transport," she says. Thirdly, they are increasingly often customizing the orders. "The demand for customized orders is increasing. We try to adapt to this trend to better meet the customers' needs." Finally, next to investing in the quality of the flowers, Heliexport also invests in promoting the flowers. "We have participated in exhibitions, fairs, floral shows, in the board of Asocolflores, we conduct research to the direct market, we promote the flower through our social networks and we continuously seek strategic partners that provide us with support in the promotion."
Heliexport
Heliexport is a Colombian importer and exporter of tropical flowers which was established in 2005. They have 14 registered farms in their company; approximately 45 hectares in Colombia and about 23 hectares in Costa Rica. They have 41 species of foliage, 48 species of heliconias, 16 species of orchids and 14 species of anthuriums, about 12 selected unique species in their assortment. According to De La Espriella, the flowers have a vase life of 20 days. Over the years, they have exported their products to countries like USA, Argentina, Chile and Spain.
For more information
Heliexport
Lyda De La Espriella
Email: [email protected]
www.heliexport.com.co