Current:Home > MarketsLove (and 460 million flowers) are in the air for Valentine’s Day, but not without a Miami layover -VisionFunds
Love (and 460 million flowers) are in the air for Valentine’s Day, but not without a Miami layover
NovaQuant View
Date:2025-04-06 13:35:24
MIAMI (AP) — While Valentine’s Day may not be known as a busy time for air travel, it’s a busy time at Miami International Airport, where many of the nation’s fresh cut flowers arrive from South America.
Around 90% of the roses and fresh cut flowers being sold for Valentine’s Day in the United States come through Miami, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. They arrive on hundreds of flights into Miami on their journey to florists and supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada. That equates to some 18,000 tons of flowers passing through Miami.
“This season we transported around 460 million flowers from Ecuador and Colombia,” Diogo Elias, senior vice president of Avianca Cargo, said Monday during a news conference in Miami.
Among the most exported flowers this season by the airline were roses and carnations from Bogota; pompons, hydrangeas and chrysanthemums from Medellin; and roses, carnations and gypsophila from Quito, Avianca said in a statement.
The Valentine season actually started in mid-January and ends Wednesday. During that three-week period, flowers arrived in Miami on some 300 flights, Elias said.
And that’s where U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists come into play. At the airport, they check the bundles of flowers to prevent the introduction of potentially harmful plant, pest and foreign animal disease from entering the country.
Their job is to make sure the floral imports don’t contain the kinds of exotic pests and foreign animal diseases which have caused $120 billion annually in economic and environmental losses in the United States, said Danny Alonso, the airport’s port director.
It is a massive undertaking.
Through Feb. 8, agriculture specialists had processed about 832 million stems of cut flowers, inspected 75,000 cut flower sample boxes, and intercepted 1,100 plant pests, he said. During the same time last year, specialists processed more than 861 million stems of flowers, resulting in 932 plant pest interceptions
“It’s one of the most demanding times of the year for our staff here,” Alonso said.
And once the Valentine’s rush is over, everyone involved can take a quick breath before planning begins for the next big flower day in the United States — Mother’s Day in May.
veryGood! (92834)
Related
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Helene reaches hurricane status ahead of landfall in Florida: Live updates
- Kim Porter’s children say she didn’t write bestselling memoir about Diddy
- Kenny G says Whitney Houston was 'amazing', recalls their shared history in memoir
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Women’s only track meet in NYC features Olympic champs, musicians and lucrative prize money
- Tropical Weather Latest: Swaths of Mexico and Florida under hurricane warnings as Helene strengthens
- Tropical Weather Latest: Swaths of Mexico and Florida under hurricane warnings as Helene strengthens
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- West Virginia college plans to offer courses on a former university’s campus
Ranking
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- C’mon get happy, Joker is back (this time with Lady Gaga)
- Court asked to dismiss murder charge against Karen Read in death of her police officer boyfriend
- UNLV’s starting QB says he will no longer play over ‘representations’ that ‘were not upheld’
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Where is 'College GameDay' for Week 5? Location, what to know for ESPN show
- Pirates DFA Rowdy Tellez, four plate appearances away from $200,000 bonus
- Resentencing for Lee Malvo postponed in Maryland after Virginia says he can’t attend in person
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Milwaukee-area stolen Virgin Mary statue found and returned to church
Mega Millions winning numbers for September 24 drawing; jackpot at $62 million
Inside Tia Mowry and Twin Sister Tamera Mowry's Forever Bond
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
Spotted: Katie Holmes With a $35 Tote & Rocking the Barn Jacket Trend (Plus Affordable Picks Under $100)
Women’s only track meet in NYC features Olympic champs, musicians and lucrative prize money
You’ll Bend and Snap Over Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde Prequel Announcement