From Dutch Fields to Colombian Markets: ICA Builds Understanding of Quality Assurance Standards
Colombia's agricultural health authority, ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario), recently embarked on a mission to the Netherlands to gain comprehensive insights into quality inspection and assurance practices within the renowned Dutch flower industry. Focusing on flower bulbs, lilies, and ryegrass—key Dutch exports to global markets, including Colombia—the visit provided ICA with valuable knowledge of the Netherlands' rigorous quality standards and practices.
Colombia, the fifth-largest destination for Dutch flower bulbs, imports approximately 80-90 million lily bulbs annually from the Netherlands. With 4,300 hectares dedicated to lily bulb cultivation, the Netherlands exports 75% of its bulb production. The ICA delegation visited breeding facilities, logistics centers, and export hubs across the Netherlands, observing the nation’s robust three-tiered quality assurance framework. This framework includes regulatory oversight by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature; monitoring by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NPPO); and comprehensive inspections by specialized agricultural agencies.
Through this mission, ICA aims to understand advanced Dutch quality practices into Colombia’s agricultural processes, which will help strengthen trade relations and ensure that Colombian imports from the Netherlands meet the highest international quality standards.
These insights will be instrumental in refining Colombia's own regulatory standards and supporting international collaboration in plant health and agricultural trade. As both countries look to strengthen their trade relationship, this mission lays the groundwork for future projects that will streamline certification processes, improve agricultural sustainability, and bolster Colombia's flower sector’s resilience in global markets.
Contact
For more information about this mission or our initiatives in the flower sector, please do not hesitate to reach out to the LVVN office in Colombia at bog-lvvn@minbuza.nl