According to Biondo, Ecuador has the perfect climate to grow hydrangeas all year round. Therefore, Royal Flowers decided to increase their hydrangea production by adding a 13 ha sized farm that is especially dedicated for the cultivation of hydrangeas. "This farm enables us to produce high quality hydrangeas with large flower heads because it is located at a lower altitude with a warmer climate than our other farms. Also the colors of the hydrangeas can be controlled better as they are all grown hydroponically," he says.
Currently, Royal Flowers’ hydrangea varieties are being cultivated at two farms; the new farm and the existing 9 ha sized farm that is located near Quito's airport in Tababela. All of Royal’s varieties come from their own selective breeding program, for which they use native hydrangea varieties. "We use existing varieties with carefully selected varieties from Kolster B.V. in the Netherlands in order to create new ones," he says.
On a monthly basis, they can produce 360,000 hydrangeas and ship them to the US. "Last November, we shipped the first hydrangeas from our new farm. We received very positive reactions and we are receiving increasingly more inquiries for our Jumbo varieties, which are produced at this farm."
Royal Flowers has been working on this hydrangea project for two years now, but they are not finished yet. "In the next two years, we expect our hydrangea production to become a large part of our entire production. We will become the first large producer of hortensias in South America as the new farm may be expanded up to 40 hectares in the future. This expansion not only offers us the opportunity to increase sales to the US, but also to increase sales to the rest of the world. Europe will be our next market to enter," he says.
For more information
Royal Flowers
Tom Biondo
Email: [email protected]
www.royalflowersecuador.com
