Colombia Flower Growers Recover After Trashing Millions of Roses

[Judi Lynn]

Matthew Bristow, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- Strong demand from U.S. consumers ahead of Valentine’s Day is bringing Colombia’s flower industry back from the brink of collapse.

Exports have been picking up since September, boding well for Feb. 14, the biggest day in the calendar for florists. Strong sales this weekend would set the seal on the industry’s comeback.

Colombian growers were getting ready for Mother’s Day when the pandemic tore through the U.S. last spring. With massive markets such as New York and California locked down, Colombia’s flower producers destroyed thousands of tons of roses, carnations and chrysanthemums.

There was more bad news to come. When summer arrived, U.S. couples started canceling their weddings. Even funeral sales weren’t good, due to restrictions on gatherings. Most of the cut flowers sold in the U.S. come from Colombia, and the sector looked set for mass bankruptcies and job losses.

More:
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/colombia-flower-growers-recover-after-trashing-millions-of-roses-1.1563229

[Backseat Driver]

1. That makes me want to cry - I got posies last week, hearts and chocolate today!