bly not continue with our flower operations in Ethiopia", says Loui Hooyman, CEO of Esmeralda Farms. Their Ethiopian location was severely hit by rebels over the last few weeks. Big damage
The production location of Esmeralda farms was attacked by Ethiopian rebels. The scale of the damage was unknown for quite a while. Some said that they mainly damaged their vehicles, but according to Hooyman, the damage is more serious. "The cold store and storage area are burnt out completely and a large part of the packaging area is damaged too", says Hooyman. The damage is estimated at 10 million euros. Esmeralda Farms owns, besides their headquarter in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, production locations in Colombia and Ecuador. They started cultivating flowers in Ethiopia in 2015.
More flower farms attacked
The Ethiopian rebels attacked several flower farms in Bahir Dar last week. According to FloraHolland, at least four farms fell victim to arson attacks and destruction. The reason for the unrest is dissatisfaction with government policy.
Still unrest
According to Hooyman, peace has not been restored yet. "For the coming Tuesday, they have already announced demonstrations. Everything will be burned, and everything that does not burn will be destroyed", says Hooyman.
For more information:
Esmeralda Farms
Loui Hooyman
Email: loui@esmeraldafarms.nl
www.esmeraldafarms.nl