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The floral postharvest educational program called PRO Institute Miami ended on October 20, 2009.  It is time to share some observations made during the tour portions of the program when various floral businesses in and around Miami International Airport were visited.  The businesses toured were Armellini Industries, Bouquet Collection, C.H. Robinson, Esmeralda Farms, Lynx Global, Maersk Line, MIA Perishables Center, Packaging Corporation of America / Harrison Packaging, Tampa Cargo, and The USA Bouquet Company.  The following is a summary of these observations as related to proper flower care and handling.

- Refrigerated trailers with the capability to have continuous air circulation (whether or not the compressor is on) are being used by some companies to improve flower temperatures during transport.

- Cross-docking capabilities in low temperature environments to help cold flowers stay cold.

- Adequate precooling capabilities, either forced-air or vacuum, to reduce flower temperatures when necessary.

- Storage cooler temperatures that are much closer to 32F, which is the ideal temperature for most floral crops.

- Plans for a new air cargo-receiving terminal whereby flowers will be off-loaded directly into low temperature environments thus reducing the chances for flower warming and condensation formation on the flowers and foliage and thereby also reducing the chances for Botrytis development.

- When implemented, sea container flower shipments arriving in either the Port of Miami or Port Everglades could be consolidated with incoming air shipments for redistribution by truck in the US and Canada.

- Chilled flower food solutions being used in wet packs to reduce condensation formation on the flowers and foliage and therefore reducing the chances for Botrytis development as well as helping to keep flowers cold.

Based on the above observations, certain flower care and handling related changes in Miami are positive, which is great!  However, there is always room for improvement including the following opportunities, some of which needs to be implemented before flowers arrive in Miami.

- Not packing boxes with too many flowers such that the boxes bulge, resulting in more physical and/or ethylene induced damages to the flowers.

- Using flower boxes that are designed and constructed properly such that they will not easily collapse during normal transport and/or are light in color so they will not absorb as much heat as dark colored boxes when they are sometimes and unfortunately exposed to sunlight.  The latter is especially true for boxes of flowers shipped direct to consumers via companies like Federal Express and UPS.

- If flowers arrive at MIA at their proper low temperatures and are subsequently handled correctly once on the ground, then re-cooling the flowers would not be needed, indicating the need for the cold chain starting at grower level and be maintained thereafter.

- Infrared temperature measuring devices (guns) are often used to measure flower temperatures inside boxes, through the precooling holes.  What generally happens is that one is actually measuring the temperatures of sleeves, not flowers. When properly used, needle probe temperature measuring devices are better.

In closing and while not associated with PRO Institute Miami nor the tours, the Association of Floral Importers of Florida (AFIF) has released a new publication entitled Cut Flower Minimum Guidelines and Standards that should be on everybody’s bookshelf.  To obtain a copy, one can call AFIF at (305) 593-2383 or read/print it directly from their website by clicking here.

Source: Chain of Life

Address questions and/or comments to George Staby at > georgestaby@chainoflifenetwork.org.

Source: http://www.chainoflifenetwork.org

Tags: e-floralink, Fresh Cut Flowers. Flower Industry, Floral Industry, Floral Logistics, Flower Logistics, Flower Growers, Flower Exports, Flower Imports, Flower Market, Flower Wholesale, Floricultores, Traceability, Trazabilidad

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