Antioquia’s ‘Flores El Capiro’ Wins International Award; Valentine’s Day Exports Surge

Medellin-based flower exporter Flores El Capiro recently won the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) “International Grower of the Year” award at a ceremony in Essen, Germany.

According to AIPH, Flores El Capiro is one of the largest chrysanthemum growers and container exporters not only in Colombia but also in the whole world.

“Delivering flowers to customers using pioneering sea freight and innovative packaging, its container-packed cut flowers reach the most distant markets, including Australia, with a transit time that exceeds thirty days,” according to AIPH.

“Today, Capiro’s planted area covers 75 hectares, with plans to reach 100 hectares and increase productivity to meet with customer demand,” the group added.

The AIPH jurors praised the company for “not only being a good example for the Colombian ornamental industry, but [also for] its sea-freight program, a worldwide example.”

The annual AIPH awards — sponsored by Royal Flora Holland and presented January 24 — honor the world’s best ornamental horticultural producers.

On a related front, Colombia’s Minister of Agriculture Aurelio Iragorri hailed the award in a special visit to Flores El Capiro facilities. In total, Colombian producers are now shipping some 500 million flowers to the USA for Valentine’s Day (February 14), Iragorri added.

Flower producers in Colombia have boosted total acreage by 18% in the five-year period covering 2012 to 2016, according to the Agriculture Minister. As a result, cut-flower production has increased 11% in the last four years, with total exports rising to 225,000 tons in 2016.

Government loans totaling some COP$113 billion (US$39 million) over the past four years have helped flower-growers upgrade machinery, equipment and productivity, while also boosting cut-flower marketing in 90 countries, he added.