Expotrópica 2011 in Pereira, inspired Colombian flower growers

A total of 55 exhibitors and 46 local buyers, among other stakeholders in the flower, foliage and tropical fruit production chain in the coffee region; took part in the first edition of Expotrópica 2011, where PROCOLOMBIA participated with the support of several regional entities.

This event carried out in Pereira between March 24th through the 27th, had the purpose of positioning tropical flowers in both national and international markets.       

Expotrópica 2011 exhibited an offering with a wide variety of tropical flowers and foliage, traditional flowers, pot-grown plants, greenhouses and a variety of tropical fruit.  There were also academic sessions around topics such as corporate social responsibility and successful clean production stories. PROCOLOMBIA supported the event with Iván Moreno Restrepo, a well recognized international designer specialized in tropical fruit, who presented a show to exhibit different flower designs and provide assistance to companies around international trends.  "The idea was to show them a way to communicate all that a flower piece can convey in a basic manner", stated Moreno.

This designer original from Manizales dedicated to the study and the technique of the Flower Art industry for over 30 years, has studied and showcased his designs in different countries of Europe and Asia, reason enough to confirm that the tropical flowers from the coffee region are of great potential in international markets. 

"This region can give much more, because there is a large supply of tropical flowers", Moreno states. "But it is important for the florist to know how to present them in an artistic manner for the end customer to feel like he or she is taking home a little garden", he adds.

Colombia is the second largest flower exporter in the world after the Netherlands, but it is the first in the category of export quality exotic flowers.

Currently there are around two thousand hectares of crops and it is an industry that generates over 120 thousand direct jobs and employs around 25% of the rural female labor force.  

This is an industry that is growing; from January to June 2010, there was a variation of 30,2% with respect to the same period in 2009, with total exports of 608,4 million dollars, according to information from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism.