Asocolflores makes statement

[WillieeArmellini]

COLOMBIAN FLOWER EXPORTERS CONTINUE TO WORK, HAVE PRODUCT AVAILABILITY AND ARE TAKING ORDERS FOR THIS YEAR ́S MOTHER ́S DAY SEASON 

Given the current situation that the world is going through with Covid-19, only joint work between producers and importers will preserve the economic and social contributions that flowers provide to different countries. 

Bogotá. April 14, 2020. “President Iván Duque extended mandatory preventive isolation until April 27 due to Covid-19, but maintained the exceptions that allow the floriculture sector to operate”, Augusto Solano, president of the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters, Asocolflores. 

“Our farms continue to work under strict health and hygiene measures, which implies higher operating costs because, for example, company buses are traveling with half the number of people they normally transport,” said the trade association ́s leader. 

Despite the delicate nature of the situation, the latest figures on the evolution of the Coronavirus in our country are better than early projections. For this reason, once this quarantine ends, the government hopes to begin a gradual and careful opening of the rest of the economy. 

That being said, Colombian flower growers already have production and logistics in place to meet demand from different countries, which for the most part, continues to be the United States, Japan and now some European countries. 

Asocolflores remains in solidarity with all who are facing this difficult public health crisis in our country, but especially with the rural communities where it operates, which is why it has carried out, among others, the following actions: 

• Donated 4 Intensive Care Units (ICU) for Cundinamarca and Antioquia 
• Collaborated in the purchase of an ambulance for Rionegro in Antioquia 
• Delivered a shipment of Coronavirus detection tests for the small tropical flower growers’ region, and joined efforts with some municipalities to distribibute food packages for the most vulneable population. 

Asocolflores also delivered 120,000 stems to 9 hospitals in Bogotá, Medellin and small towns in Cundinamarca to celebrate International Health Day on April 7. This was a gesture of respect and admiration and a willigness to share with all medical staff the emotional power of flowers to generate positive feelings, which is recognized by studies from Harvard, Rutgers, Texas A&M and the University of North Florida universities. 

“Today, more than ever, we are working for the benefit of the flower sector and we reiterate our commitment to society, public health, job creation, and economic development for our people as part of our contribution to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals,” said the president of Asocolflores. 

For more information, visit http://www.asocolflores.org – http://www.asocolflores.org 

[Author]

Posts