Processes

Management of all cultural practices in the greenhouse is the key to quality roses, which is the theme of the Production team and thus the aim to ensure all operations, are done timely and effectively. Training of workers is a routine, to help each individual realize the importance of the job he/she is doing. The focus is on the product which will be delivered to the buyer and the first steps to fulfill the buyers requirements starts from the field.In field, special emphasis is given to cut stage and transportation of flowers to cold rooms without damaging and bruising the flowers from field.A well trained scouting and spray team helps to keep the farm pest and disease free. Both the teams are trained every six months for Pest and Disease Identification and Reporting Procedures and Effective and Safe Use of Pesticides and Fungicides respectively.Humidification and dehumidification processes are followed to maintain proper humidity conditions within the greenhouses which are an important part to attain good head sizes and also to control pests and diseases. Re-entry levels are practiced for each chemical as per WHO classifications to avoid exposure of chemicals to general workers after sprays. All workers handling chemicals undergo periodic medical tests to ensure proper health. Proper bathrooms with soaps are provided to the sprayers to maintain hygiene after sprays. A proper rotation of sprayers is followed irrespective of their medical history to avoid any over exposure of chemicals to an individual.

Desire Flora has one of the best cold room storage facilities. With a spacious grading hall with the capacity to handle 30 hectares production the operations are handled in the most efficient way to process the flowers as per the customer’s requirements. The flowers are graded, sorted, bunched and cut to grade before being kept in specially treated post harvest solution for rehydration. The bunched flowers are kept in the final cold room to attain lower temperatures before being finally packed in flower boxes. Packaging of boxes is done inside the cold room by packers who are provided with proper cold room protective clothing. After packing the boxes are again pre cooled on the pre cooling wall to ensure lower inbox dispatch temperatures to maintain the cold chain.

The boxes after pre cooling and attaining a temperature of 4 degrees are then loaded on the refrigerated truck for their onward journey to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at Nairobi from where they are finally shipped to their final destination.

FLOW CHART OF OPERATIONS ON FARM

1. Propagation – Rose cuttings are grafted to make new young plants and multiplied in required numbers in the propagation house for planting in greenhouse for commercial cultivation.

2. Hardening – Before being planted in the commercial greenhouse,these plants are hardened in the area to absorb the climatic shock.

3. Planting – The multiplied plants from the propagation area are planted in the commercial growing area, maintaining a required number of plants per square meter. Planting is done on raised beds in soil or artificial growing media in troughs provided with drip lines for irrigation.

4. Harvesting – After planting and a series of cultural operations like de-budding, bending, pest and disease control and sanitation; the plants are ready with flowers to be harvested for export. Harvesting is done in a manner so as to get another harvestable stem from the cut point of previously harvested stem. These stems are then transported to the pre cooler.

5. Pre-Cooling – Pre-cooling is the starting point of a cold chain which is to be maintained till the flowers are delivered to the end consumer. It is critical to maintain the cool chain to ensure the quality, freshness and vase life of the harvested flower. Pre-cooling helps in removing the heat out of the harvested flowers and arrest the further blooming of the harvested flowers.

6. Grading and Bunching – The pre-cooled harvested flowers undergo a systemic process where flowers are deleafed ,graded , sorted , checked for various quality parameters and bunched as per required number of flowers per bunch. These bunches are then cut to size and sleeved before being returned to post harvest solution for hydration.

7. Storage and Packing – As flowers are rehydrated they are kept in a final cold room to be packed in boxes. Each variety, sorted by required length is packed with its specific number of stems per box. Box packing is done inside the cold room to maintain the freshness and continuity of the cold chain. The packed boxes are again force cooled to remove any warm air from the boxes.

8. Transportation (Farm-Airport) - The packed and force cooled boxes are then transported in a truck fitted with refrigerator in cargo section. The refrigeration during transport ensures the continuity of cold chain. These boxes are delivered to the cold rooms of the freight forwarder for the onward journey of these flowers to their final destination.

9. Market - These boxes are unpacked on arrival at final destination and then through various chains of distribution reach to the end user. Satisfaction of end customer is determined by the freshness of the flowers and the vase life obtained by the end user.