colombia - zoekresultaten

The “año viejo” dummies for New Year’s Eve are burned, the firecrackers are finished and the champagne glasses have been put away. The New Year has begun! But let’s look back to 2016 one last time – what a remarkable year it was!

The European Parliament gave its consent for Ecuador to join the EU trade agreement with Colombia and Peru in a vote on Wednesday 14 December. The deal retains Ecuador’s preferential access to the EU market.

Lack of direct flights to Latin America has hampered Kenya’s quest to sell its horticultural produce in South American states.

2016 has been a very tough year for Esmeralda Farms. Last June, Peter Ullrich, founder and driving force behind one of the largest floricultural companies in the world, passed away. In August, their farm in Ethiopia was attacked by rebels. Present owner Clarisse Ullrich decided subsequently that Esmeralda would cease their activities in Africa. And the office in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, was shut down as well. In the beginning of December, Clarisse Ullrich tells us her story. “What would you do? We lost millions in Ethiopia. Would you invest another couple million to repair the damage, knowing that the same thing might happen again? Probably not!”

Reinier Voskamp, Holex Flower

'Some customers call our farm a rose boutique'

On 11 November 2016, the EU, its member states, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru signed the protocol of accession of Ecuador to the EU's free trade agreement with Colombia and Peru. This signature followed the decision by the Council to sign and provisionally apply this protocol.

Esmeralda’s farm wasn’t totally destroyed. That’s what Tewodros Zewdie, the executive director of the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association, says. According to him, the damage isn’t too bad and the company should be able to start up again.