“I needed another adventure”

expand your business can be done in unlike mode , by progress another greenhouse nearby or by adding new mathematical product to your assemblage . Another option is to maltreat in to a entirely new market . That is at least what Ecuadorian flower woodlet , Bellaflor Group decided to do four years ago , when they started up a raw farm in Ethiopia . “ I needed another adventure ” , said Mr. Hanspeter Hug , of Bellaflor Group . presently , they grow more than forty different mixture of flowers in Ecuador and have begun with two different varieties in Ethiopia .

Mr. Sintayehu Kebede

Better access to new markets“Having a farm in Ethiopia gives us the benefit to better access code market that are very far from Ecuador . As well as having excellent connection to the Arab Peninsula we have two daily unmediated flights to China and Japan , direct flights to Frankfurt , London , Dublin , Rome , Madrid , Moscow , Australia , Washington , Canada and many more . China , Asia , Europe , African Countries and Australia are our natural markets due to proximity . Our customers are mostly importers and jobber . ”

unexampled greenhouseBellaflor Ethiopia rise a gross natural selection of roses , spray roses and gypsophila and they are constantly trialing new varieties . “ I always believed in diversification and to dedicate my sprightliness to one crop only , seemed a little … boring ” , Hanspeter say . At Bellaflor Ethiopia a 2 ha . modernistic greenhouse enlargement is under construction , signify for dissimilar flower crops . “ At this moment our Assistant Flower Designer is in Ethiopia training an initial team to make farm - invigorated / farm - made fragrancy . We will have a bouquet surgical operation in Ethiopia found on our successful Ecuadorian model . ”

Time to expandBut how did it all set about ? Hanspeter : “ The economical and political environment in Ecuador was unsealed at the time and the future for investors was not very supporting . Not get a barter understanding with the United States and the devaluation of the Russian Ruble made growing flowers in Ecuador even less sure . It seemed a perfect time to diversify - and last but not least - I postulate another risky venture . ”

ChallengesObviously , maturate flowers and operate a companionship in Ethiopia is a lot different than in Ecuador . Hanspeter : “ clime , to begin with , is more complicated , specially the upland where our farm is located . In Ethiopia we all have to deal with a 3 - month rainy time of year , well known as the monsoon . The rest of the twelvemonth it is ironic . Blazing summertime month alternate with quite dusty calendar month and period of miserable brightness . To impart it all up , hail may fall everywhere throughout the country - at any time of the twelvemonth . ” Also launch the operation was quite different . “ One of many challenges in Ethiopia were the cultural differences . It was difficult to get thing done with a brand unexampled team and with government structures that we did n’t quite translate . ”

Up - and - runningIn spite of these start out - up complications , the farm is now up - and - running , making Hanspeter majestic . “ It is said , that we are the most beautiful and socially witting farm in Ethiopia . We ply the same benefits to our team in Ethiopia as we do in Ecuador such as , gratis mobile canteen , free medical service in our own mod clinic , costless tape drive etc . After a stack of initial setbacks we created a peaceful , proportionate work and have witnessed how our worker have become professional horticulturists - that bring about amazing flowers .

Experience and staff to trust onDespite all the dispute Hanspeter says the experience of growing flowers in Ecuador for many year was an vantage for starting up a farm in Ethiopia . “ On the technical side , I never had any incertitude about how and what needed to be done next . I ’ve been doing this for 35 days . Besides , in Ecuador I have a very experienced team of pro for every vista of the flush industry , that I can completely rely on . Three of our Ecuadorian staff members became Farm Manager , Post - Harvest Manager and Pathogen - Control Manager in Ethiopia .

The overall horticultural direction is contribute by Guillermo Ochoa out of Ecuador , as is sales and administration . Rodrigo Carrillo is the chief executive officer in tutelage of both Ecuador and Ethiopia . To make this potential , we vest to a great extent into engineering science and all of us jaunt on a regular basis to Ethiopia . Who keeps the farm and its performance ladder swimmingly on a daily basis is Sintayehu Kebede , the General Manager of Bellaflor - Ethiopia , locally known as Afriflower .

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