Guatemala has managed to establish a name for itself in international markets thanks to the quality, colorfulness, and beauty of its flowers and ornamental plants. However, the sector faces a challenge: in the last four years, exports of flowers, foliage, and ornamental plants have remained flat, with an annual average of US$120 million, according to data from Agexport.

 Industry representatives cite a number of constraints that hamper competitiveness and innovation in a global market where tastes and preferences are volatile. Some of these obstacles include tariffs imposed by the United States since April of this year, restrictions under the European Green Deal, deteriorating road infrastructure, increased shipping costs, lack of access to financing, and stagnation due to the lack of growth in land with technified irrigation, among others.

 Added to this list is the difficulty in technological innovation, which faces obstacles in the admission of new genetic lines for international commercial exchange. These range from lengthy procedures to costs.

 At this point, Miguel Gutiérrez, chairman of the board of directors of Agexport's Flowers, Plants, and Ornamentals Commission, regrets that the main obstacle today is the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA). "Since the current administration took office, the procedures for importing plant genetic material from countries with research, development, and innovation capabilities have become practically impossible. We have gone from two to 27 requirements for importing new material, in addition to a US$6,000 fee," he says.

 This limitation is a cause for concern among agricultural exporters, as it has created a bottleneck in the medium term that affects the employment of thousands of women in rural areas, a group that plays a significant role in the sector's productivity.

Despite the obstacles, there are signs of recovery. During the first half of 2025, flowers, foliage, and ornamentals recorded export revenues of US$78.1 million, representing a 45.6% increase over the same period in 2024.

 MAGA: evaluating cost reductions

The director of Plant Health at MAGA, Jorge Mario Gómez, is responsible for protecting crop health and ensuring the country's phytosanitary security. In response to Gutiérrez's statement, he maintains that the exact charge is US$6,250 and has been in place for 18 years, not just under the current government.

 It is regulated by Ministerial Agreement 137-2007, which charges US$31.25 (paragraph 33) for import permits, licenses, or authorizations for hydrobiological products. In addition, the Plant Health Law (Decree 36-98, sections 2 and 11) and its regulations, Government Agreement 745-99, explain that this applies to imports subject to risk analysis.

This law establishes the basis for the prevention, diagnosis, control, and eradication of diseases and pests affecting animals, plants, forest species, and hydrobiological species, with the aim of preventing the entry, spread, and establishment of exotic pests in the country.

 “In addition, MAGA has internal administrative provisions that establish that unsubsidized services must be covered by applicants, especially when it comes to products of commercial interest,” says Gómez. He acknowledges, however, that it is an expensive study, so he is confident that the authorities will expedite the publication of a new fee of US$2,500 so that the sector can more easily import products and be more competitive in the region.

 With regard to exports, Gómez explains that the MAGA's Vice Ministry of Agricultural Health and Regulations is responsible for issuing phytosanitary certificates by conducting field or point-of-exit inspections and laboratory diagnostics to ensure that products are free of pests and diseases.

 Two exporters with potential

Chimaltenango is home to two of the leading flower farms and exporters, Primarossa and Sunfresh Farms, which mainly grow roses and other varieties in an unpredictable climate that ranges from warm to cold, favored by volcanic soils and microclimates. Both are Rainforest Alliance certified, which guarantees good environmental and labor practices, an essential requirement for accessing large buyers in the north.

 At the Primarossa farm, thousands of plants grow in a controlled greenhouse environment that combines technical precision and artisanal care. Huge plastic structures shelter thousands of bags containing young plants that receive ideal growing conditions: precise and constant irrigation, humidity control, temperature control, and phytosanitary monitoring.

 Since 1995, Primarossa has specialized in this crop, which now offers a range of rose varieties in its catalog. It has 50 hectares and employs 300 to 400 people throughout the year, most of whom are women. “We benefit from their participation because of the delicate nature of the cultivation and harvesting,” says Julián Muñoz, general manager of the farm. Challenges abound. The climate, which brings heavy rains and variations in heat, requires constant technical adaptation, although he assures that the country's potential is greater and could reach up to 5,000 hectares. “There is a lack of investment in infrastructure and financial support from the government. With loans or subsidies, the sector could grow more; it has a future,” says Muñoz.

 Sunfresh, art and technique in innovation

Founded in 1998, Sunfresh Farms has earned a place in international production, competing with Colombian and Ecuadorian producers.

 In the greenhouses, José Augusto Méndez, production manager, is responsible for achieving the balance between nature and technology so that each rose reaches the exact length demanded by the market. “The stem must measure 55 centimeters, and with a special mesh, we ensure that the buds grow straight and firm, with a diameter of 4.5 centimeters,” he explains.

The technology allows them to create microclimates that control humidity and temperature, with equipment that activates automatically when the relative humidity in the environment rises.

“We export more than 50 million stems per year,” says Lizzy Montero, marketing and sales manager. "We work with more than 14 varieties and customized bouquets.

In 2023, Sunfresh was recognized as Best Exporter of the Year for Innovation, thanks to the development of new bouquet styles that conquered niches such as supermarkets in the United States, as well as venturing into Canada, Central America, and Japan.

 Montero says that floriculture is not an easy task in Guatemala. He lists challenges such as unpredictable weather, high fertilizer costs, poor infrastructure, and transport blockades that complicate access to the airport. "The road is not easy, but we believe in the country's potential. Guatemala has unique microclimates and a privileged location. We are close to achieving worldwide recognition for the quality of our flowers," he says.

 A production with female hands

With a 38-year history in the country, Agexport's Ornamental Plants, Flowers, and Foliage Commission currently represents 74 production and export companies that handle more than 300 species and around 3,000 varieties.

 Currently, the sector is experiencing 30% growth in the second half of 2025, driven by technological innovation and expansion into new markets, with export potential of up to US$213 million.

 The five main markets are: the United States (US$72 million), the Netherlands (US$41 million), El Salvador (US$10 million), Honduras (US$5 million), and Germany (US$4 million).

 This sector generates around 60,000 stable jobs, 15,000 of which are permanent, with 75% of these jobs held by women in rural areas. “It offers a production model that combines the use of technology and biological products with manual labor performed by women,” Gutiérrez points out. 

A floriculture greenhouse requires a computerized fertigation system, micro-compensated drip lines, retractable curtain management, and adequate ventilation.

Productivity has grown steadily, with around 3,500 hectares distributed across the south coast, central region, east, north, and west of the country.

 Brigitte Obrock, coordinator of the Commission, explains that the sector is made up of three groups: cut flowers, foliage (30%), and ornamental plants (70%).

 As for cut flowers, the main producing areas are Quetzaltenango, San Juan Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, and Sacatepéquez, although the variety of microclimates favors production throughout the entire territory, Obrock assures.

 Irrigation, a promising future

Although Guatemala has abundant water resources, there is a tradition of poor management of technical irrigation in agricultural production and a lack of tangible irrigation policies since 1950, Gutiérrez points out, despite the fact that access to water with technology is a strategic pillar of agricultural and rural development. “Certainly, at this point we have hope in MAGA, as it is restructuring its irrigation programs, which we hope will have an impact on the population.”

 Jorge Solórzano is an advisor to the Deputy Minister of Rural Economic Development at MAGA and an expert in technical irrigation. He explains that the National Irrigation Policy 2024-2033 focuses on four basic pillars of work: investment, institutional strengthening, governance, and the environment. “Irrigation is crucial for agriculture, as it allows for doubling and even tripling the production of a crop per year, which improves food security and surplus production, although this varies depending on the type of crop,” he says.

For a comprehensive transformation

The flower sector, like other productive sectors in the country, needs to move forward, despite the challenges it faces, ranging from wages, tariffs, infrastructure, certifications, and more, says Brigitte Obrock.

While the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) seeks technical and political solutions to support the sector and maximize its productive capacity, it recognizes that the world is evolving. Therefore, it sees the need for a comprehensive transformation based on four key actions: incorporating technology to improve production efficiency; developing new varieties with added value; promoting good agricultural practices and sustainability; and finally, the constant search for new markets and specialized niches. 

They also emphasize the need for an agricultural innovation law, which would help protect the intellectual property rights of breeders of new plant varieties, not only for the plants themselves, but also for agriculture. "The goal is to incentivize the creation of new varieties. Such legislation would allow companies and agricultural innovation centers to invest and operate in Guatemala, which would promote technology development and research," Obrock explains.