During the past days, Ascoflores has paid a visit to the affiliated companies in the Sabana de Bogotá. During these visits, they were able to experience first-hand the entire process behind the most beautiful product in Coiombia.
The tour began in Saga, a crop specialized in Roses, the product of the work and passion of Miguel and Sonia, a couple of workers who found their passion in flowers, a passion that they transmitted in the best way to Helmut and Miguel, their two children who today They are in charge of directing the crop always under the care and observation of their parents. The visit to Saga was also attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Cecilia López Montaño, who was touring the crop and admiring the work carried out there by the more than 300 collaborators that Saga has.
The tour continued to the farms like Ayurá, Flores de Serrezuela, Flores de Bojacá and Flores La Aldea. Farms characterized for being specialists in growing roses, carnations, mini carnations, in which, together with various media, they saw first-hand the process involved in cultivating and exporting Colombian flowers. Already directly in the greenhouses, they were able to learn more about the care with which each flower is treated by its workers, from the moment it begins to be planted in the cutting, going through the process of its growth, germination and cutting, until it is taken to the phytosanitary control area, post harvest and subsequent disposal for shipment. Likewise, we witnessed how each farm is responsible for ensuring the correct disposal of waste, the proper use of water, soil and energy.
In these tours, Ascoflores had the opportunity to get to know the “heart” that makes the entire operation possible. There are hundreds of stories that are cultivated around flowers. Women (mostly) and admirable men, dedicated to both their work and their families. Workers whose eyes are full of gratitude and love for flowers and for the sector, which in the vast majority of cases gave them the opportunity to move forward with their homes, improve their quality of life and find growth opportunities in the sector.
This is the case of María Rocío, who remembers that she entered a Valentine’s season and from the first day she was “sweetened” by the charm of the flowers, today 11 years later, she is one of the crop coordinators and appreciates the opportunity because Thanks to floriculture, she managed to have her own home. They also met Gloria Amparo, who has been able to raise her 3 children thanks to her work in the sector and who with a certain nostalgia remembers that 21 years have passed since the first day she entered, today, her eyes reflect the great love that she feels for flowers, and with a bit of sadness she says that despite the fact that her time to retire is near, she does not intend to stop working in the sector that gave her everything. Also, we have the case of Edwin Fabian, a worker who has been working in the sector for 17 years and who tells us that he had the opportunity to pay for his studies thanks to the support he has received from the company; he recounts that it was right there, in the farm where he works, that he met his current wife 10 years ago. Today he proudly comments that his work gave him the opportunity to meet the loves of his life, his wife and 6 year old daughter.
And just like these, there are hundreds of thousands of life stories that are part of the diversity of our sector, but that converge around flowers, and that have love as a common denominator. The love that the women and men who are part of the 200,000 formal jobs produced by the Colombian floriculture give him, the love with which they get up every day to work for their families and their dreams. A love that is reflected in the experiences and emotions produced by the most beautiful and well-known product in the world, the Flowers of Colombia.
A large component of these visits consisted of inviting journalists from media such as: El Tiempo, Portafolio, La República, Publimetro, Semana Magazine, RCN News, Colprensa, La Voz de América, Reuters Agency, Turkish News Agency, France Press Agency, Bloomberg and Agencia Efe so that they could witness first-hand all the work, dedication, love and stories that are cultivated behind the Flores de Colombia protagonists on Valentine’s Day.
In this way, Colombian floriculture shows itself to the world as an organized, strong and united sector. A sector that is the result of sowing the seed of teamwork, driven by the love and tenacity that characterizes the Colombian worker.
Source: asocolflores.org
