1/14/10

Colombia Freeze Hurts Roses

Reports of a devastating freeze in Colombia in January are prompting a range of reactions, from concern about shortages to skepticism about the real impact of the freeze.

In the Sabana de Bogota region, temperatures fell below freezing three nights in the first week of January, according to reports from The National Weather Service and The Weather Underground. The average low for the week was 38 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to average lows of 41 F and 49 F in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

The Association of Colombian Flower Growers (Asocoflores) on Thursday predicted the cold spell would damage 30 percent of the country’s flower production. The affected region, near Bogota, accounts for 70 percent of Colombia’s floral exports.

SAF (Society of American Florists) recently asked Red Kennicott a few potential media questions regarding the freeze.

How will the frost in Colombia affect the supply of roses for Valentine's Day? We have talked to all of our rose suppliers. Some have not been affected at all by the cold weather and some growers experienced freezing temperatures. It will take about a week to determine the extent of the damage, if any. This situation is not unusual, and there have been reports of freezing in some areas of the Bogota plateau in the majority of winters.

Will there be a shortage of roses available for the holiday? Why or why not? At Kennicott Brothers, we are not planning on a shortage. We are aggressively pursuing orders for roses for Valentines Day, and we are confident that we will be able to fill them. It is possible that there could be spot shortages of certain varieties of roses at the very last minute, but that would be isolated and in most cases where florists did not plan in advance.

Does this mean that rose prices will be higher this Valentine's Day compared to previous years? Why or why not? No. Prices should be about the same. Values could be better, because many growers have planted new improved varieties and because there have been enhancements to the cold chain for delivering flowers from the grower to the consumer.

 Colombia supplies the vast majority of Valentine's Day roses, so how will the U.S. floral industry fare this Valentine's Day? We think that it will be a very good holiday. Consumers always respond at Valentines Day, and flowers are a great value for all pocketbooks. What other sources will they tap into? Ecuador, California, Mexico and Holland.

Will these sources have enough supply to fulfill the shortfall of Colombian roses? Yes!

Any other comments? The recession has taught our industry that it must be lean and mean to survive. As an industry, we are today more efficient than ever. There are plenty of fine quality roses available in the world markets, and roses and other flowers for Valentines will be the best value ever for this occasion.