One of the largest exporters of sweat peas in Japan, Universal Flower Service co., Ltd., decided to grow their Japanese sweat pea varieties in Colombia. They established Ikebana Co. SAS, and after three years of hard work, they are currently producing 12 varieties on 2 ha in El Rosal, Cundinamarca. Last April, they completed the first shipment from Bogota airport to the USA and are currently exporting them, all under the brand name Bijo, to Europe and South Korea. In this article, Monica Miranda, one of the owners of Ikebana Co SAS, tells us more about the company, how it started, their varieties, and future plans.
Monica Miranda and Takeshi Nakamoto
One of the largest exporters of Japanese Seet Pea
Ikebana Co. SAS is a company that is a subsidiary company of Universal Flower Service co., Ltd., a Japanese company established eight years ago that is dedicated to producing and exporting Japanese flowers to other countries in East Asia. They are one of the largest exporters of Japanese Sweet Peas in Japan. The company is owned by Takeshi Nakamoto, a Japanese, and Mónica Miranda, a Colombian. They are a young entrepreneurial couple. “Universal is a family, multicultural, and innovative company,” she says.
The whole team was involved in the celebration of the first shipment that they did to the USA in April this year.
How it all started?
So what made Universal decide to produce Japanese sweet peas in Colombia? “We could see the great demand that the Japanese sweet pea had in several markets, especially the United States. Takeshi Nakamoto, CEO of Universal Flower Service, initiated this business in Colombia to grow the Japanese sweet pea varieties in Colombia throughout the year to meet the demand of markets outside East Asia.”
They brought together some Japanese producers and built the project with their cooperation and also with the support of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), who supported them during the feasibility study of this ambitious project.
“We worked for three years to develop what would be the first production of sweet peas in the history of Colombia. The cooperation of the two countries, with JICA and the Japanese producers from Japan and the Colombian institutions such as the ICA and Procolombia, promoted the development of the project. Our producer partners in Colombia, Plazoleta Flowers and Flores el Zorro, together with the leadership of Universal Flower Services, made it possible, after three years of hard work in the field, that the first production of Japanese sweet pea, one hundred percent produced in Colombia, were exported for the first time in the history of the country in April 2023.”
Bijo is the brand of their Sweet Pea Line of products for Universal but also for Ikanebana, and this means “ Beautiful Lady” in Japanese.
Some more pictures of the celebration of the first shipment to the USA. Click here to enlarge the picture.
Key to success: Japanese technology and teamwork
“There are many challenges to face, flowers are living beings that are affected by many factors, but we can say that it has been almost a miracle to produce this type of flower in Colombia. It has required a lot of study and perseverance to make it possible. Colombia is a country with wonderful soil and a very good climate that allows flowers to grow beautiful and strong. However, it has been the Japanese technology and the shared knowledge and teamwork of the engineers from both countries that has been decisive for the success of this type of cultivation in Colombia. We have created a new Sweet Pea production technique in Colombia.”
Japanese team at Proflora.
Well-known in the market
According to Miranda, their sweet peas are already well-known in the market. “Our Sweet Pea are Japanese varieties, and they are highly appreciated by decorators, florists, and wedding planners. In general, the sweet pea is a delicate and beautiful flower with a unique character because of its characteristic smell. And we have developed a special production technique to offer superior quality, and every day, we evolve more, both in the field and in the post-harvest and packaging processes to match the Japanese quality that is highly reputed worldwide. The whites and lavenders are the more demanded ones.”
Monica Miranda and Camilo Camargo at Proflora 2023 with the winning varieties.
Already awarded
Currently, they grow 12 varieties in Colombia, and some of them have already been awarded at two competitions this year. “During the SAF Outstanding Varieties Competition, we won the first prize with Yuki, and during the Proflora Outstanding Varieties Competition, in the category New Producers, they won the first prize with Sumire.”
On the left, the winning variety Sumire, and on the right, several varieties in a bouquet.
Future plans
Miranda foresees a bright future for their Colombian-grown sweet peas. “In the future, we are planning to grow in assortment and acreage little by little.”
For more information:
Monica Miranda 
Ikebana Co SAS
Email: monica@u-flowerservice.com
www.ikebana.site
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaFJ/