Green Opportunities with an Orange Touch in Colombia Business Leads in the Horticultural Sector Ideavelop & Verbos Business Development
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Green Opportunities with an Orange Touch in Colombia Business leads in the horticultural sector Ideavelop & Verbos Business Development 1 Green Opportunities with an Orange Touch in Colombia Business leads in the horticultural sector Commissioned by: Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Transition Facility Colombia Authors Ideavelop S.A.: - Edwin Smit, Director Ideas - Renee Snijders, Director Development Verbos Business Development: - Aart van den Bos, Director Ideavelop is a Dutch consultancy agency based in Costa Rica and specialized in business development and marketing in international horticulture with a focus on the European and the Latin American market. Verbos Business Development is based in the Netherlands and involved in International business development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Financial engineering and Interim Management in the agribusiness sector. Verbos works for the private sector, government, institutes and NGO’s. Version: San Jose & Naaldwijk, 20 August 2014 2 Preface In April 2014, Netherlands Enterprise Agency requested Ideavelop and Verbos Business Development to carry out a market survey on the opportunities for the Dutch horticultural sector in Colombia as part of the so-called ‘Transition Facility’. The Transition Facility is a program focused on improving cooperation between selected sectors in the Netherlands and three upcoming markets (Colombia, South Africa and Vietnam). Horticulture is one of these priority sectors. It often turns out that the bad image of Colombia withholds Dutch companies to investigate the opportunities in Colombia. The Dutch companies often do not know what opportunities there are or Colombia is not even selected as a potential interesting (export) market. This hurdle can be overcome by mapping market opportunities in the Horticultural Sector in Colombia. The beneficiaries of this market entry study are representatives of Dutch industry and trade, for example importers, exporters, manufacturers, consultants and investors. The study is written for people who see, or want to identify, opportunities for doing business in Colombia. For them, the market entry study is an introduction to a subsector in Colombia and a guidance tool that will inform them on business leads, market and business constraints and possible partners. Furthermore the report provides a Dutch entrepreneur or organisation with reliable starting-points to enlighten the practical execution of his plans to enter the foreign market. The study is divided in 5 Chapters: An introduction to Colombia, the horticultural sector in Colombia, the horticultural sector in the Netherlands, strategies based on the first three sectors and in Chapter 5 possible business leads based on the strategies. Acknowledgement We would like to thank the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bogota and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, represented by Mr. Joel Brounen, Mr. Andres Mejia and Ms. Anne Ligthelm, to give us the opportunity to elaborate this study which hopefully leads to a more extensive cooperation between the Netherlands and Colombia. We also would like to express our gratitude to researchers Martin van Koppen, Pepijn Veling and Rob de Bruijn for their appreciated assistance. Finally, we would like to thank all interviewed persons for their time, efforts and hospitality to make this report a starting point in Colombia for Green Opportunities with an Orange Touch! 3 Index Executive summary 7 Introduction 10 1 Country description 11 1.1 Introduction 11 1.2 General facts about the country 11 1.2.1 Colombia 11 1.2.2 Geography 11 1.2.3 History 11 1.2.4 Political aspects 12 1.2.5 Social aspects 12 1.2.6 Safety 13 1.2.7 Economic aspects 13 1.2.8 Fiscal aspects 14 1.2.9 Financial aspects and subsidies 14 1.2.9.1 Top 10 most important financial institutions 14 1.2.9.2 Subsidies and financial support 14 1.2.10 Infrastructure and communication 15 1.2.11 Labour 15 1.2.12 Education 16 1.3 Business Climate in Colombia 16 1.4 Trade promotion and assistance 16 2 Horticultural Production and trade in Colombia 18 2.1 Introduction 18 2.2 Ornamentals 18 2.2.1 Basicfacts 18 2.2.2 Production 19 2.2.2.1 Greenhouses 19 2.2.2.2 Insidethegreenhouse 19 2.2.2.3 Post-harvest 20 2.2.2.4 Production regions 20 2.2.2.5 Varieties 21 2.2.2.6 Main flower producers in Colombia 22 2.2.2.7 Dutch breeders and propagators active in Colombia 22 2.2.2.8 Production trends 22 2.2.3 Trade 24 2.2.3.1 Global import and export 24 2.2.3.2 Colombian flower exports 24 2.2.3.3 Logistics 24 2.2.3.4 Cut flower export procedures 26 2.2.4 Floricultural sector organization and trade promotion 26 2.2.5 Government policies 27 2.3 Vegetables 28 2.3.1 Basic facts 28 2.3.2 Production 29 2.3.2.1 Greenhouses 29 2.3.2.2 Inside the greenhouse 29 2.3.2.3 Post-harvest 30 2.3.2.4 Production regions 31 2.3.2.5 Varieties and plant material 31 2.3.2.6 Main vegetable producers in Colombia 32 2.3.2.7 Dutch breeders and seed suppliers active in Colombia 33 2.3.2.8 Production trends 33 4 2.3.3 Trade 34 2.3.3.1 General 34 2.3.3.2 Sales and logistics 34 2.3.3.3 Import procedures of seeds and plant material 35 2.3.4 Vegetable sector organization and trade promotion 36 2.3.5 Government policies 36 2.4 Horticultural supplies and services 37 2.5 Summary horticultural sector Colombia 39 2.6 Corporate social responsibility 41 2.6.1. Risks 41 2.6.2. Sector initiatives 42 3 Horticultural production and trade in The Netherlands 43 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 Ornamentals 43 3.2.1 Sector organization 43 3.2.2 Production 43 3.2.2.1 Propagation material 43 3.2.2.2 Cut flowers and cut foliage 44 3.2.2.3 Pot and bedding plants 45 3.2.3 Trade 46 3.3 Vegetables 47 3.3.1 Sector organization 47 3.3.2 Production 48 3.3.3 Trade 48 3.4 Horticultural supplies and services 50 3.4.1 Technology 50 3.4.2 Knowledge exchange and education 51 3.4.2.1 Universities and related research institutes 52 3.4.2.2 Private suppliers of knowledge and services 52 3.4.3 Measuring Sustainability 53 4 Strategies 55 4.1 Introduction 55 4.2 Strategies for Colombian floriculture 55 4.2.1 Production 55 4.2.2 Suppliers 57 4.2.3 Distribution and trade 58 4.3 Strategies in Colombian vegetable production 58 4.3.1 Production 58 4.3.2 Suppliers 59 4.3.3 Distribution and trade 59 4.4 Strategies for the public sector 59 4.4.1 Knowledge and education 59 4.4.2 Government 60 4.5 Business opportunities for Dutch companies in Colombia 61 5 Businessleads 62 5.1 Introduction 62 5.2 Business leads ornamentals 62 5.2.1 Production 62 5.2.1.1 Training Centre 62 5.2.1.2 Mechanization of sorting, bunching and sleeving 63 5.2.1.3 Heating 63 5.2.1.4 Hydroponic production 63 5 5.2.2 Suppliers 63 5.2.2.1 General supplies 63 5.2.2.2 Entering the market by clustering 64 5.2.2.3 Horticultural trade mission to Colombia 64 5.2.3 Distribution and trade 64 5.2.3.1 Closing the cool chain 64 5.3 Business leads vegetables 64 5.3.1 Production 64 5.3.1.1 Add value to the vegetable supply chain 64 5.3.1.2 Establishment of vegetable cooperatives 65 5.3.1.3 Sustainable expansion of vegetable farms 65 5.3.1.4 Promote Climate Smart Agriculture and create synergy 65 5.4 Business leads knowledge & education 66 5.4.1 Setup of university level horticultural curriculum 66 5.4.2 Organization of Executive Manager Training Courses 66 5.5 Business leads Government 66 5.5.1 Enhanced cooperation between ICA and NVWA 66 5.5.2 Allow and stimulate the use of biological crop protection 67 5.5.3 Cooperation to establish an integrated ‘horticulture’ policy, aimed at producers of greenhouse products 67 Annex 1 Financial support and subsidies 68 Annex 2 References 72 Annex 3 Interviewed persons public and private entities 74 6 Chapter 3 explains the current status of the Dutch horticultural Executive summary sector. Its strengths, but also its current challenges are mentioned. The Netherlands is recognized as a leading player in global General information about Colombia can be found in Chapter 1. horticulture and Dutch horticultural companies are well known for The country has made great progress over the last decade. GDP per their products, knowledge and experience. Many Dutch companies, capita has doubled. The security situation has improved organisations and knowledge institutes work abroad and are active significantly. FDI has increased rapidly (almost 17 billion USD in in developed and developing markets. ‘Go local’ is becoming the 2013) putting Colombia in the top 20 FDI receiving countries trend for these international companies. Different markets are worldwide. Colombia is the only South-American country with ports asking for different and adjustable technologies that increase on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It has by far the highest profits for farmers and improve their social, ecological and financial score on the Investment Protection Index of all countries in the situation. region. All in all Colombia has become the third most business- friendly and leading reforming country in Latin America. A couple of important strengths that are mentioned are lessons learned from cooperation within the supply chain with a number of Chapter 2 describes the current situation of the horticultural sector stakeholders (including government).