Colombia has achieved official admissibility to export hydrangeas and roses to Morocco, according to a report published by the Colombian Agriculture Institute (ICA) on Wednesday. January 12.
This initiative is a result of the health diplomacy strategy led by Colombian President Iván Duque, in collaboration between the ICA, the Ministry of Agriculture, and Rural Development, as well as Colombian flower producers.
This move comes as a result of the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between Colombia and Morocco to strengthen their revived, South-South cooperation-based relationship in April, 2021.
Within the context of enhancing bilateral relations, the two parties agreed to intensify their efforts in “priority areas,” which include agriculture, tourism, culture, and traditional industry.
Both countries expressed their concern about the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they pledged to strengthen their bilateral coordination and their commitment to multilateral agreements.
The ICA has provided a scientific-technical concept and set up requirements for the export of these flowers, at the request of the Moroccan National Office for the Safety of Food Products (ONSSA), which was approved through official communication.
Some of the requirements set by the ICA include that the flowers must be of Colombian origin, the flowers must come from a plant nursery approved by the Colombian Agricultural Institute, and the flowers must undergo an official inspection prior to export.
Additional requirements include that the flowers must be free of the pathogen, Xylella fastidiosa, which has no known cure and may lead to plant death once infected with the pathogen. The ICA also stated that the flowers should be treated with a broad spectrum of insecticide and miticide just prior to export.
“We started 2022 on the right foot and with excellent news for the Colombian floriculture sector, and it is that thanks to the dedication and effort of all the country’s flower producers, we managed to enable Colombia to export roses and hydrangeas to Morocco,” says Deyanira Barrero León, general manager of ICA.
“I am very pleased to announce that the first export will be 46,000 flowers, which corresponds to 36,000 roses and 10,000 hydrangeas,” she further added.
Currently, Colombia has 4,910 hectares of registered agricultural land dedicated to growing flowers and cutting branches for export. Among the most cultivated species are Hydrangeas and roses, which total 1392 and 926 hectares, respectively.
According to the ICA, there are 2,227 places of production registered in Colombia. Of these, 58% is concentrated in Antioquia, primarily growing hydrangea, pompoms, and asters, followed by Cundinamarca with 854 places, primarily dedicated to roses and carnations.
Within the framework of the MOU between Colombia and Morocco, Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita and Ramirez discussed the revocation of visas for ordinary passport holders from both countries.
In the statement, the measure was described as a step toward “great strengthening of human, tourist, economic, social, commercial, and academic exchanges between the two friendly countries.”
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