INTERVIEW · DE RUITER Trust is the real product

Marcelo Vallejo on the data, loyalty and hard-won reputation behind one of the flower industry's most trusted breeding houses

Ecuador's flower exports have nearly doubled in six years, and few breeders have ridden that wave as confidently as DeRuiter. We sat down with Marcelo Vallejo to find out what's really behind the growth: rigorous data, boots-on-the-ground relationships, and a refusal to oversell a variety that hasn't earned it.

How has the market evolved in recent years, and how has DeRuiter grown within that context?

The shift since the pandemic has been impossible to miss. In just six years, Ecuador has nearly doubled its export volume, as global flower demand climbs across events, supermarkets and wholesalers alike. Our own growth has tracked that curve closely — we bring varieties that check every box: highly productive, built to withstand sea freight, and striking enough to win over the buyer at the end of the chain.

What quality attributes set DeRuiter varieties apart?

Productivity, without question — that's where we stand out as breeders. Our evaluation system, refined over years, is rigorous enough that we confidently release more than 50 new varieties or codes every year. Behind that number is a near-10-person team and a long list of non-negotiable standards. Being precise about the numbers we put behind a variety earns us real credibility, especially with growers — they're the ones taking the risk when they plant something new.

Why is DeRuiter seen as such a reliable, solid breeder?

It comes down to honesty with the data. Everything we share is the product of years of research: in-house trials, careful plant management, and a constant presence at international trade fairs. Feedback from major grower groups sharpens that picture even further, giving us a clearer read on what the market wants and letting us confirm — or correct — our breeding decisions along the way.

Planting a variety means years of investment for a grower. How does DeRuiter stand behind that decision?

Our mission is simple: bring productive varieties to market that travel well and perform beautifully in the vase. Years of evaluation and steady feedback from growers and trade fairs keep our margin of error low, though we're not infallible — mistakes happen, and they're part of any breeding process. What matters is protecting our reputation: catching a variety that's losing ground early, telling growers about it, and carefully managing the volume we release so the market never gets flooded. Our technical team also visits farms regularly, helping with everything from crop management to post-harvest handling.

How important is local presence on the ground with growers?

Essential. Being close means understanding each farm's real needs, agronomically and commercially, and helping make the calls that create a genuine win-win. Our local team brings the experience to give sound advice and see it through, day after day. At the end of the day, we want every grower to see DeRuiter as a partner they can build a business with over the long term.

DeRuiter is present at trade fairs, in touch with florists, and involved in every link of the chain. How does that closeness translate into innovation?

Staying close to the market means staying tuned to shifting tastes and emerging opportunities. Constant contact with florists, growers and everyone else in the chain feeds directly into our selection process, helping us strike the right balance between what buyers want and what growers need most: productivity, quality and profitability.

How has your media and events strategy shaped the brand's growth and credibility?

It always starts with the product. A variety that performs well and looks beautiful earns the market's trust on its own — and from there, the best marketing is the recommendation that passes between growers and other industry players. Media and events matter too, since they give the brand and our varieties visibility, but ultimately it's quality, performance and beauty that decide whether a flower stays in the market.

What have clients of more than a decade taught you, and why does the human touch still matter in such a technical industry?

Our longest-standing clients have taught us that their firsthand knowledge of their own markets is just as valuable as our data. Trade fairs give us a first read on a new variety's potential, but honest — sometimes hard — feedback from growers, often backed by their own commercial results, lets us move forward with more confidence, or pull back in time when needed. Flowers carry real emotional weight, for the people who grow them and the people who buy them, which is exactly why human judgment still matters so much. Technology can help us analyze information, but it can't replace the experience, sensitivity and trust built over years with a client.