Nevado Ecuador - Environment, Dedication Add Quality to Roses

Roberto Nevado, president of Nevado Ecuador (NE), built his rose farm on a gently sloping plain in the lush Cotopaxi south province ( of Quito) for one reason—quality control. "We chose this area because the region's climate, high altitude, water and soil help to add value to NE's roses," Nevado said. And the company controls the bud size and opening stage of each rose, helping to maintain continuity in that quality. NE has achieved the Green Label certificate this January and is one year away from achieving ISO certification.

T he fresh-water stream flowing through the farm is more than just a beautiful, natural sight to behold. "Because the stream originates from nearby mountains, the water is free of pollution, such as heavy metals, that would either threaten the quality of the water (and the flowers) or would force us to buy costly purifying equipment (which would affect the price of the flowers). Likewise, the light, sandy soil is well adapted for growing roses," Nevado said. "The farm's high altitude (2,750 m) gives us the high concentration of light necessary to produce premium-quality roses.

Our excellent microclimate prevents strong winds and the slope prevents frost to form. We have better climatic conditions than in the other zones." Nevado explained that Cotopaxi also has a lesser concentration of rose farms than in Cayambe and Lasso. "That means our roses are not as susceptible to contamination."
NE's eight rose varieties—Classy, Gold Strike, Raphaela, Red Intuition, Shocking Versilia, Star 2000, Versilia and Virginia—come from top-notch European and U.S. breeders, and the flowers are handled with the utmost care for the environment. "Growing only eight varieties in 14 hectares of greenhouses allows us to pay particular attention to our roses and attend to each customer's unique requests," Nevado said. All of NE's roses have been on the market for five years or less and are in high demand. NE's Gold Strike received a Gold Medal in last New York Flower Fair September-2000.

To maintain freshness, the roses are placed in buckets filled with treated water as soon as they are cut from the plant, and the buckets are whisked into the post harvest room on cable carts, similar to the efficient transport system used in the Dutch Flower Auctions. Air vents keep the temperature at a constant 59°F (15°C) in the post harvest room, where the flowers are graded by length, bud size and opening stage. From the post harvest room, the flowers are hydrated and packed in the two cooling rooms, which are kept at a constant 41°F (5°C). "Our qualified personnel receive continuous training, so they utilize the latest rose-growing techniques," Nevado explained. NE's employees control the roses' opening stages from the time the flowers are cut until the time they are packed and on their way to the customer. "By controlling the flowers' bud sizes and opening stages, we are able to fully maintain quality throughout the growing process." Also, because NE's customer base is so diverse—customers include wholesalers, importers and other large flower consumers in 15 countries—controlling the flowers' opening stages ensures that NE will have the right selection of product for each unique customer.

"Our roses' head sizes range from 6 to 8 centimeters depending on the variety and opening stage. They exhibit excellent vase lives, which are guaranteed with 'cutting day' information, if needed," Nevado said. NE's roses range in length from 40 cm to 1 meter, and the farm exports about 80% to European countries and 20% to the U.S.

NE earned the Green Label certificate—a German flower label program certifying that the company observes strict environmental and worker-related recommendations—earlier this month. Additionally, NE's web page received second prize in the prestigious Spanish magazine PCWorld.The farm is also close to achieving ISO 9000 certification, a program implemented in very few Ecuadorian farms. The farm maintains close relationships with some of the world's leading breeders and propagators in order to grow exclusive, experimental varieties.