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Breeding and propagation on an international scale
The chrysanthemum is a flower with an international impact, so it's no surprise that Dekker Chrysanten is active on several continents. Alongside our head office in the Netherlands (Hensbroek), we actively promote chrysanthemums in Africa, South America, and Asia.
Colombia is a major chrysanthemum producer. At present, the country mainly supplies to the American market, but sales to the United Kingdom and Canadá are also growing. As the Colombian growing area is comparable to the area in the Netherlands, Dekker Chrysanten believes it’s important to be active in the country. All members of management and other staff members are also Colombian, ensuring a good connection with the local culture.
We have our own branch in the city of Rionegro. Dekker Chrysanten has selected varieties especially for the Colombian market and supports growers in choosing from the range. The branch is also responsible for propagating and distributing cuttings: growers are licensed to grow source plants that they use to take cuttings for their own flower production.
Dekker Chrysanten's market share is developing rapidly in Colombia. Thanks to this growth, there is now a Colombian edition of Chrysanthemum Valley – the event where growers and traders can experience the current range.
Dekker Chrysanten has been working closely with JAB in Japan. Headquartered in Tokyo, this distributor is responsible for the sale of chrysanthemum varieties that are selected for local growers in close consultation with sales and the manager of international selections.
Dekker Chrysanten has its own branch in South Africa, based in the town of Brits, which is responsible for the sale of cuttings. In view of the changing climatic conditions – from cold to very hot – the branch has its own range of products available. Dekker Chrysanten also works with local management and other staff in South Africa. Once a year, growers and traders are invited to learn more about our current range during Chrysanthemum Valley.
Dekker Chrysanten has a separate breeding programme for the Asian market. In cooperation with a number of growers in Malaysia in the Cameron Highlands and a grower in Vietnam, new varieties are tested on an extensive scale before being introduced to the market. If varieties prove suitable, they are licensed for cultivation by local growers. They produce flowers not only for the Japanese market, but also increasingly for countries such as Singapore, Thailand, China, and Australia.
Dekker Chrysanten's African branch in Moshi, Tanzania, at the foot of Kilimanjaro, is the company's largest overseas location. Two farms also operate in Arusha. Depending on the season, the sites employ 800 to 900 staff in total. These staff members mainly focus on propagating chrysanthemum cuttings that are supplied to chrysanthemum growers in the Netherlands, other European countries, and South Africa.
The company in Tanzania has significantly improved its sustainability credentials by installing LED lighting and a biomass boiler that burns the residual waste from coffee beans. Dekker Chrysanten is actively working to improve the lives of local people: employees enjoy more than standard terms of employment and health care insurance, which also covers their family members. By setting up its own Dekker Chrysanthemum school, the company is also doing a great deal to help young people in the country develop.