The demand for tinted carnations has been increasing for a few years now, and more farms are adapting to this demand by increasing their volumes. This is also true for the Colombian farm Don Eusebio. The company started producing tinted carnations back in 2016 and now increases the volumes by 10% a year. They use a special process to enable the tinted carnations to be shipped to Asia via container. In the coming years, they are eager to grow in volume, acreage, and number of container shipments, as is explained by Andres Olier Jauregui, Sales Manager at the farm.
Andres Olier Jauregui at the IFTF 2022 in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands.
Niche market
The tinted carnations are shipped all over the world, but Don Eusebio's main markets for the product are Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. "Asia like strong colors, and by tinting the carnations, you can give them any color they want." According to Olier, it is still a niche market, as many of the tinted carnations are used for special events. "During the world cup, for example, we see the demand to produce unique colors of a country's flag. Step by step, we are trying to focus our tinted business on an exclusive market that appreciates the unique collection that we produce."
Growing volumes and acreage
Currently, they grow spray carnations and carnations on 31ha in Sopo and Suesca, Colombia, and about 20% of their products consist of tinted carnations. "However, the markets ask for more, particularly for the holidays," he says. So, in 2023, they are planning to grow an additional 10% in tinted carnations and make a new area with the latest technologies for processing more stems to meet the demand."
Container shipments
The majority of their production is still transported by air, but due to the increase in air freight costs over the past few years, they increased their container operation. "And help the customers to find varieties that resist the trip without any inconvenience," he adds.
"For this reason, we yearly test over 50 different varieties in our farm, and accompany clients in the logistics process, and are able to change their air to maritime operation." According to Olier the goal for the company is to export 40% of the production via container in 2023.
Special process
In order to ship tinted carnations in a container, a special process is required. "As the product is in the container for a longer period of time, quality control is of the utmost importance. The process starts with picking out the carnations that are suitable for tinting and varieties that support long trips. After selecting the best stems, they go for 48 hours of dehydration. Then, we make one or two incisions in the bottom of each stem so that we get two or four parts. The flowers then absorb the special liquid developed only for us with the perfect combination of colors that the customer needs. Those stems will hydrate with a special product, allowing them to keep the color at temperatures of 2 or 3 degrees that are expected during the long trip."
The packing of tinted products is also unique due to the exclusive market, and in order to keep the quality and freshness of the product, he adds. "Making a difference is our goal, and we work to offer our customers better quality and details in the products we sell every day. All of our tinted and natural carnations are guaranteed an 18-day lifespan after the container trip."
For more information: 
Agroindustrial Don Eusebio S.A.S.
Phone: +57 310 223 6019
Email: [email protected]
www.doneusebio.com