Although it represents a profitable alternative for small farms, flower production continues to be a minor item in national and regional agriculture. In fact, at the regional level, Indap does not have advisory programs focused specifically on this segment (producers receive advice as farmers) and statistics show a stagnation of the surface area in the last 15 years.
According to statistics from the 2021 Agricultural Census. At the national level there are 1,563 productive units (939 hectares), 40% of which are concentrated in the Valparaíso Region. Meanwhile, in the Ñuble Region, there are 84 producers, totaling 20 hectares. Of these, Quillón has 23 producers. Chillán, Bulnes, San Carlos, El Carmen and Coelemu also stand out.
Amparo Guíñez, who has been advising small producers in Quillón for more than 25 years, explained that the species most produced in the region are carnation, astromelia, lilium, Maule chrysanthemum, gypsophila (Ilusión de la novia), lisianthus, peonies and tulips, some of which were introduced to the commune in the nineties.
Likewise, he indicated that a large part of the region’s cut flower production is marketed nationally, mainly in Chillán and Concepción.
Exports are big words. In fact, there are no statistics that confirm flower shipments abroad from the region. “What we do have is that some sell their flowers to companies that export, which are located in other regions. And that, unfortunately, is not counted in the statistics as an export of Ñuble, even though we have asked companies to indicate the origin,” explained the regional director of ProChile, Cristóbal Herrera.
Lack of associativity
As it is a product with a very short post-harvest life, the market is more limited and air transport is not always a profitable option. In that sense, having cold chambers to store production continues to be a pending issue for small producers, as well as advancing in associativity, added Amparo Guíñez, who recounted the experience with the Peasant Committee of Flower Producers of Quillón, integrated by 21 flower growers.
“We started the industry in 1995, with the first greenhouses. At that time I worked for the NGO GIA, which developed a project, with resources from Indap, to train more than 30 producers, with demonstration greenhouses. Then, projects were presented and production companies began to have their productions,” he recalled.
He explained that they started “with carnations and roses, but unfortunately, due to the weather conditions, the roses never had good results, and then other species were incorporated.”
“Also, in recent years another project was developed in Prodesal, for the production of tulips outdoors, and that has been maintained, but it has not become widespread. In the El Peley sector there is tulip production, but they sell it in pots, to obtain greater profitability,” he added.
The Communal Committee of Flower Producers of Quillón was created in 1998 and has support from Indap through its Management and Organizational Support program.
He commented that the sector took off, but suffered a lot with the pandemic, due to the strong contraction in demand.
“Flowers are a good alternative for small producers, since they are produced on small surfaces and have a fairly high profitability; Furthermore, if one schedules production, that is, one does not produce seasonally, but rather plans the harvest for times of lower outdoor production, the profitability is greater,” Guíñez highlighted.
The advisor stated, however, that “associativity is a pending challenge. When we left, everything was purchased as an association, and in this way we managed to lower costs, but when it came to sales it was more complex, because each one started looking for their own client. Today that has been lost, but we want to reactivate the Committee. Associativity is an imperative for producers, because here we are talking about small surfaces, unlike the productive reality of the Valparaíso Region; For example, there a producer can have 5 thousand to 10 thousand square meters of greenhouses, there are many hectares under plastic, however, here in Quillón, the average is three greenhouses of 180 m2 per producer, that is, 540 m2, plus another 500 m2 more of outdoor crops.”
Amparo Guíñez valued the change that flower cultivation meant for the producers of Quillón, in economic and social terms. “They generated their own income, some were able to educate their children thanks to the flowers, they had access to advice, greenhouses, they bought equipment, they incorporated technical irrigation, their lives changed; Unfortunately, the institutions have not been permanent with them, I feel that they have not been a priority for the institutions,” she postulated.
The group’s challenges and needs are mainly infrastructure, such as greenhouses and irrigation. Guíñez stated that “I hope that organization joins in, there are many projects that can be done, such as having cold chambers, stockpiles, marketing together, and with that they would greatly improve the profitability of the sector.”
Use of technology
Chillán businessman Gregorio Baeza resumed flower production this year in the Boyén sector, commune of Chillán. “A long time ago I had flowers, in the nineties, but later I had other activities, I have a landscaping company, and now I resumed flower production, but more professional, with more technology and investment,” he summarized his new foray into the field. .
Baeza has 1,500 m2 of flower cultivation under plastic, specifically carnations and astromelias. “I think that the sector is still in its infancy in the area, there were attempts many years ago, in Coelemu and Portezuelo, for example, but the cultivation of flowers under plastic never became widespread, that project failed as a business, because they saturated the market, they are very few who follow. I remember that, in 1996, when I started, marketing was more difficult, social networks did not exist, but now, with all the technology, selling is easier, in addition, demand has increased a lot, there are more flower shops, the habits consumption have changed.”
In that sense, he commented that his plan, in the short term, is to sell in Chillán and Concepción. “The bet has to do with offering a fresher product, which will last longer, to the closest consumption centers; On the other hand, in our area, cultivation under plastic is not so massive, so it can be a good opportunity to spread it to the masses,” he stated.
The producer also commented that he is incorporating technology and innovations to his crops. “I installed a heating system in the greenhouse, using recycled oil,” Baeza explained.
Flowers and seeds
An exceptional case is that of María Josefina Mas, from San Nicolás, who formally began her business Mas Flores in 2016.
She set out alone, dipped into her savings and received help from her father-in-law, who provided her with the land to produce flowers and multiply seeds, her main activities. “I started with a small greenhouse that was the dairy farm and I started planting astromelias, for sale in Chillán, when I was still a clerk, until in January 2017 I quit my job to dedicate myself one hundred percent, that same year I planted peonies to export of cut flowers, but indirectly; and later I started the flower and species seed multiplication service for the Dutch market, the first export was in 2018,” she recalled.
The entrepreneur has stood out in the production and export of seeds, through her company Bloom Seeds SpA, which has earned her recognition from institutions such as ProChile. Currently, she has five hectares dedicated to seed multiplication, increasing her production and working directly with the Netherlands and Poland, trying to make her way to other markets on different continents. Likewise, she continues to produce cut flowers, incorporating irrigation and infrastructure technologies, with her mind set on continuing to grow.
