Next month Agriflor will be opening its doors for the 17th time since 1992, when Ecuadorian growers could exhibit for the first time in a trade show in their own country. This year it feels like a “déjà vu”, since a large number of Ecuadorian flower growers are going to exhibit again. Over 75 producers that already grow flowers for a long time but have never exhibited before, are now taking the step to do so, many of them looking to start doing direct business with international flower buyers of their Ecuadorian grown flowers.
“A unique and amazing result to have ‘found’ so many flower growers in Ecuador that never participated before in an exhibition”, says organizer Dick van Raamsdonk of Agriflor, a flower trade show that van Raamsdonk set up 27 years ago.
“It is like starting all over again, but then in a high gear”, he said. Within one year HPP managed to do a full remake of the exhibition, by searching for existing but non exporting flower growers that never exhibited before, but who are very eager to start doing that now. It will be the highlight for international flower buyers in this year’s edition of Agriflor to source flowers from new exhibiting growers. It is like “tapping wine from a new barrel”. Although also traditional existing exporting growers will exhibit as always, the majority of the exhibiting growers this year will be “first timers”.
The +/- 75 exhibiting growers, out of a total number of 135+ exhibitors, will display their best varieties in the downtown located El Centro Exposiciones de Quito and are excited to meet with the international buyers that they have always heard about but never met. The main goal of this year’s Agriflor is to promote more exports by more growers leading to more production.