A three-year campaign to boost Ecuadorian rose exports to the UK kicked off last week driven by new brand Rosas Del Ecuador - Best in the World.
The £300,000 initiative will see 26 Ecuadorian flower producers and exporters come together with the aim to supply more than 1,200 high-end florists in the UK.
Cristian Castillo, managing director of Rosas Del Ecuador - Best in the World, told FPJ: “We are a fairly well-established industry and we want the Rosas del Ecuador brand to be recognisable in the UK, but it will take 18 months to two years to fully implement our business plan.
“The UK is the second-biggest flower importer in Europe and we want a larger share of the market.
“But this is a long-term project. Every step of flower production in Ecuador is regulated - producers have national and international certifications - and we want UK importers to trust the brand.”
Ecuadorian flower companies export to more than 80 countries, said Castillo, but the UK imports just two per cent of the Ecuadorian flower offer.
Returns from the European market are around 30-40 per cent higher than from the US, he added, and this has driven the UK campaign.
A new US$430 million (£226m) international airport in the capital, Quito, is set for completion in 18 months - and this will mark a step forward for flower exports to the UK, said Castillo. “The new airport will have better runways, better cold storage facilities and a better location, and perhaps even direct flights to London,” he added.
Plans to expand the campaign to four counties - Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Eastern Europe - will follow the UK initiative.
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