To get the complete picture about the beautiful red Rose, Red Tacazzi+ from Africa, it is necessary to get the opinion from the Ethiopian nursery, too. After all, without their discovery, we would not be able to enjoy the fabulous shape, fragrance, and appeal of this beautiful novelty. This is the voice of Ziway's operational manager, Ermiyas Solomon. He shares insights into their day-to-day operations and his perspective on growing quality roses consistently.
From Ethiopia to the World
Ziway Roses is the nursery of the original Dutch company Holla Roses. The nursery is at the start of the production supply chain that goes from the borders of Lake Ziway in Ethiopia to the auction clocks at Royal FloraHolland in the Netherlands.
At the helm is Ermiyas Solomon, who is the Operational Manager at Ziway Roses. Solomon shares the intense process of growing roses and producing quality Ethiopian flowers set to put a smile on everyone who comes in contact with them around the world.
Who is Ermiyas Solomon?
"I have been working for Holla Roses for 10+ years as an operational manager. I am a horticulturalists with experience of 16+ years in the flower industry. I have in the past worked in the fruit-growing industry, but growing roses gives me much more satisfaction."
What do you enjoy so much about growing roses?
"My heart is with the roses. The best way to explain is how I look at flowers. To me, they are like children you have to take care of so they grow optimally. You raise them, feed them, water them, and they grow to be beautiful children. I communicate with the roses on our farm to make them happy children. And they communicate back to me. They let me know when they need something to grow better, and my task is to provide exactly what they need at any given time."
Tell us about the Holla Roses and Ziway nurseries.
"Ziway Roses is one of the biggest rose farms in Ethiopia, established in 2005. Today we have more than 1,250 employees working at Ziway - tending to roses on 42 hectares of land in production. Fun fact is that 80 percent of the workers at our nursery are women. The farm is located in Ziway Batu town along the shores of lake Ziway, at an altitude of 1,650 meters above sea level and 163 km south of the Ethiopian capital city, Addis Ababa.
We are growing high-quality roses ranging from T-hybrid, intermediate to supper sweetheart varieties. Annually about 120 million roses are exported to the European market. The sustainable Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) production system leads us to high-quality roses and export to satisfy the demand of our customers. Our goal is to continue working to responsibly conserve the existing natural environment, and ensure the health, safety, and welfare of employees. So far, Ziway roses is certified for different international and local standards, like MPS-ABC, MPS-SQ, MPS GAP, ETI, GLOBAL GAP, GRASP, Fairtrade, and Code of Practice G."
How many varieties are you currently growing?
"Currently we have 24+ different varieties of roses, all are year-round varieties. Three of the intermediates are Tacazzi+ varieties, the original Tacazzi+, Pink Tacazzi+, and Red Tacazzi+."
You have been growing the original rose, Tacazzi +, and the Pink Tacazzi+ for a while. What is your experience with those?
"These varieties have vibrant color with good production and ease of growing."
Holla Roses discovered the red mutant in the Pink Tacazzi+ that turned out to be this new Red Tacazzi+ rose? How did that happen?
"Yes, we did discover the red mutant of Pink Tacazzi+. As agronomists we always do rounds with all production teams, and we always check things carefully. Some times during the rainy season, we discover mutations of varieties coming up. This is how we found this red color hidden in the field among Pink Tacazzi+ roses. We harvested the stem and sent it to Dümmen Orange for propagation, testing and selection. Then this flower came back to us, really being a Red Tacazzi+ rose now, and we continued. Currently we have more than 2ha in production."
To what extent can Rose Red Tacazzi+ be compared with the other Tacazzi+ varieties?
"The cultivation of Red Tacazzi+ is more or less the same as other varieties within the Tacazzi+ group. The shelf life is also very good, and the color is perfect red roses category. I can say that the Red Tacazzi+ is the a great red that nicely attracts the eye."
What are the advantages of this Rose?
"The Red Tacazzi+ is a unique red color for the industry. In the future, it has gained a significant position in the European market. Why? It has a nice shape, it is an intermediate, with a decent head size, it has excellent vase life, crop wise, it grows well, and has a vibrant red color."
How do you see the future of Rose Red Tacazzi+?
"I am still convinced that this rose's market share will continously grow, the market loves it and it's traits makes it ideal red Rose for customers looking for color, better shape and reliable shelf life."
