COLOMBIA – Ash threatens Colombia’s flower exports for Mother\’s Day Flowers are Colombia\’s second largest agricultural export after coffee

MILAN – The ash cloud caused by the Eyjafjallajokull volcano\’s eruption will have devastating effects as far away as Colombia, where all the jets flying flowers to Europe for Mother\’s Day were grounded for four or five days, say reports. The rush to Mother\’s Day represents about 12% of annual sales for Colombian growers and is the second-most lucrative season after Valentine\’s Day,

The airport in Amsterdam, the flower-trade world\’s center, has been closed since April 15.
Flowers are Colombia\’s second largest agricultural export, after coffee, and the country is the world\’s second largest exporter of flowers after the Netherlands. Exports of freshly cut flowers represented about $1.05 billion for Colombia in 2009.