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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 53 1. THE BRILLIANT BREEDERS It all starts with the seed or the bulb. Around the world, cut fl ower breeders are working in labs and greenhouses to develop new, diff erent and better fl owers for fl orists and their customers. Lots of research, time and expense goes into the cut fl ower cultivation process. Breeders work tirelessly, using trial- and-error experiments, to create the best varieties to grow. As a world leader in fl ower breeding, the Ball Horticultural Company, through its many divisions and partners, develops fl owers that will produce beautiful blooms for the cut fl ower industry. "We are always on the lookout for the latest fl ower varieties and fl ower trends, as well as how to produce the best quality cut fl owers in diff erent parts of the world," according to Ball SB, a division of the Ball Horticultural Company that develops, propagates and distributes seeds, cuttings, plugs and tissue-culture plants for growing in Central and South America as well as Africa. K eeping up with the world's demand for cut fl owers involves many moving parts, from breeders, growers and farm workers to shippers, wholesalers and retailers. Do you ever think about how many lives are impacted by a beautiful cut fl ower on its journey from seed to consumer? So much love and hard work goes into the process of creating and selling cut fl owers. e international fl ower industry creates many opportunities and improvements for communities around the world, changing people's lives one fl ower at a time. Today's cut fl ower industry is global, diverse and rapidly evolving, and it's no secret that it is a multibillion enterprise globally. When it comes to the fl ower industry export market's size, statistics reveal that the Netherlands has the largest share of the export market, followed by Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya and Ethiopia. e United States, Europe and Japan are the biggest importers of cut fl owers. According to Petal Republic (petalrepublic.com), the worldwide market for cut fl owers and ornamental plants (those that are grown for the primary purpose of being solid as cut fl owers and indoor houseplants as well as plants for use in landscape design) is expected to reach $57.4 billion USD in 2024, an increase of roughly 35 percent from $42.4 billion USD in 2019. Selecta is another leading breeding and propagation company. A major goal for Selecta is the creation of new colors, fl ower shapes and plant features. Although the focus diff ers slightly in all cut fl ower crops, fl ower quality is determined mainly by the lasting quality during storage, transport and trading as well as by vase life. At Selecta's new biotechnology lab and new facilities for professional vase-life testing, the company has conducts research with the aim of developing molecular markers that are linked to fl ower longevity. Since its founding in 1989, Suntory Flowers Limited has been innovatively hybridizing unique varieties for the bedding plant market and the cut fl ower industry. In 1997, Suntory released the fi rst of the 'Moon' series of blue-purple carnations, and in 2017, the company introduced the "blue" rose 'Applause' to the U.S. market. ese new varieties were developed using molecular breeding technology. Currently, Suntory is preparing to launch a "blue" chrysanthemum, which was jointly developed with the National Agriculture & Food Research Organization (NARO) in Japan. 2. THE FLOWER FARMS Colombia e fl ower industry has helped the Colombian people by creating good jobs and contributing to their communities. According to a report by the Labour Observatory of the Universidad del Rosario, in Bogotá, eight out of 10 people in Colombia who carry out some work activities are "informal" workers; that is, they have jobs that allow them to generate some income but does not off er social security or job stability. One remarkable exception to this statistic is the Colombian fl ower sector, which off ers fully formal and legal conditions to all its workers and, on this basis, builds welfare programs for them, their families and communities that go beyond legal standards and THE JOURNEY OF A FLOWER

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