Colombian flowers dominated Asia’s largest international flower expo Wednesday in Tokyo.
With an exhibition space of over 700 square feet, Colombia’s flowers occupied the largest area of the eighth annual Tokyo International Flower Expo (IFEX).
The expo included 1,150 exhibitors, an estimated 35,000 visitors, and featured 25 Colombian companies.
Ambassador to Latin American countries Patricia Cardenas said she was “very proud of the importance of Colombian flowers on the Japanese market.”
Overall, Colombia has nearly 17,000 acres of cultivated flowers, according to radio station W Radio, 95% of which are exported to countries like the United States, Russia, Britain, Japan, and Spain.
Japan’s main supply of carnations comes from Colombia while 70% of the market has been characterized by having a rapid and sustained growth in the last decade.
According to Cardenas, the export of Colombian flowers “is very successful and has great potential, it can keep growing.”
The Colombian flower industry generates over 180,000 jobs, whether direct or indirect, with 60% of the labor force being women.