São Paulo – Roses thrive in mild climates, therefore most of the leading Brazilian growers are in the South and Southeast of the country. However, there is a small territory near the border between the states of Ceará and Piauí that offers conditions for the flower to be grown. It was there that Paulo Selbach, a native of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, set his 80 hectare plantation. The roses have been sold to the world in the past, but the unfavourable exchange rate of the last few years led Paulo to change his plan and allocate the production to the domestic market. Which is not a bad thing.
According to Paulo, 100% of the production of Cearosa used to be shipped to European countries such as Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands. Now, the monthly output of 45,000 packages with 20 stems each is allocated to the domestic market. The Southern and Southeastern states, especially São Paulo, are the leading growers. According to the businessman, the Brazilian conditions no longer enable flowers to be exported. “The export market is compromised. We have no global-scale competitiveness. Rather, Brazil is becoming an importer of flowers. We have once exported 100% of our production, and now we only work on the domestic market,” he says.
The domestic market is not as large as the foreign one, but it grows year after year. According to the president of the Sectorial Chamber for the Flower and Ornamental Plant production chain, Silvia von Rooijen, the sector has average annual revenues of 4 billion Brazilian reals (US$ ) and an average growth of 15% a year. The segments that grow the most are those of cut flowers – which includes roses – and landscaping. The segment of flowers for vases and green plants (with no flowers) grows less.
In addition to the state of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, the Federal District and Ceará are major flower producers. “Consumption rises as we place flowers at different points of sale, such as supermarkets, and reach people across all social strata,” says Silvia. However, there are no specific data available on sales of roses.
Ceará, the state in which Paulo’s company is based, is among the leading producers of flowers in the country. He used to sell shoes in that state when he first went to Serra da Ibiapaba (the Ibiapaba mountain range), 360 kilometres away from the state capital Fortaleza. There, the temperature range is ideal for growing roses: the maximum is 28°C during the day and the minimum, 17°C, at night. “I felt like growing flowers there. I had wanted to do it for a long time,” he recollects, referring to the fact that growing roses was a family activity.
Once he began growing the plants, Paulo also began to invest in the variety of flowers. Red roses remain the top sellers, but are not unanimous. Roses with two colours, with larger or smaller petals, stronger or weaker scents are all preferred by different consumers. And they all require heavy investment from the grower. Cearosa currently sells 25 different types of the flower, but has 350 other varieties undergoing testing at its greenhouses, which cover an area of 12 hectares.
Not all of these varieties have made it into the bouquets, but some become trends and get successful. The earnings from these models are not reaped by the grower alone. Those who develop the rose also benefit and earn royalties on the product. The company also invests in workforce training, maintenance of production, and has expenditures on transport and logistics.
While he dodges the thorns that he finds along the way, Paulo keeps an eye out for the foreign market. Currently, he says, Brazil even imports roses. He does not, however, rule out the possibility of finding new markets aside of those that he has sold to in the past. “That would be great, but our conditions right now are minimal.”
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
