The international crisis that began in late 2008 significantly affected the export sector of foliage and ferns in Costa Rica, which to date has not been recovered the levels prior to the onslaught of the crisis =.

The Fall of exports from $77 million in 2008 to $41 million last year forced many companies to diversify their business and engage in other crops with greater projection in the international market, such as organic vegetables.

"The Superior Greens category, for example, has been harshly affected since 2008, in light of the sharp drop in exports of the fern known as leather leaf. Jorge Gutierrez, manager of special projects for the company, told Nacion.com that". ..now greenhouses which were dedicated to ferns are used to produce tomatos to export to markets in Canada and some countries in the Caribbean. "

Source: Nacion.com

More on this topic

Lobbying to Reopen Plants Market in Europe

September 2016

Exporters of ornamental plants are waiting for government approval in order to be part of the delegation which will request the reopening of the European market, which has been closed since May 2015.

The Chamber of Producers and Exporters of Plant Products (Caprodex) argues that the request was made on July 8 to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and there has not yet been a response to the request to attend on September 22 the meeting to be held in Brussels to demand the reopening of the market for ornamental plants from Costa Rica. In May 2015 the European Union banned ornamental coffee plants from Costa Rica and Honduras in order to prevent the entry of the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa.

Guatemala: The Ornamental Plant Trade

December 2015

125 companies are engaged in the production and export of ornamental plants, flowers and foliage, generating more than $86 million in revenue in 2014 alone.

Companies in this sector plan expect to close 2015 with an increase of 5% in exports of ornamental plants compared to 2014, although the European market has yet to regain the levels of imports of plants and flowers it had before the crisis that erupted in 2009.

How to Export Ornamental Plants to Mexico

July 2014

On July 29th training will be provided in Guatemala on the requirements and conditions to export flowers, foliage and ornamental plants to Mexico.

From a statement issued by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport):

The Committee on Ornamental Plants, Foliage and flowers at AGEXPORT, in order to open new markets for member companies, has reached an agreement with the Agricultural Department of the Embassy of Mexico to provide tools which aim to provide entry for Guatemalan ornamental products into the neighboring country because of the barriers that have existed in previous years.

Flower Exports from Costa Rica

April 2014

Foreign sales have been negatively affected by a loss of competitiveness with other exporting countries.

In 2013 flower exports fell by 5.4% compared to 2012, due to a loss of competitiveness against other exporters and climatic effects in some growing areas.

"The export of ornamental plants has been losing a lot of space, mainly because some countries are more competitive than us in this respect, in addition to problems such as a fluctuating exchange rate and the depression experienced by major export markets," said the President of the Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica (Cadexco), Monica Segnini.