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How Labor and Exchange Rate Changes are Impacting Flower Production in Colombia

As most in the floral industry are talking about, Colombia’s floriculture industry is entering a new chapter. With the 23.7% increase in the national minimum wage effective January 1, 2026, growers are preparing for the largest labor cost adjustment in decades. For many, this change will reshape operations, as wages often represent half or more of total production costs.

According to a recent newsletter from AsocolFlores, labor represents between 50% and 60% of total production costs. Such a sharp and unexpected adjustment introduces additional pressure on operations while the industry continues to meet high standards in quality, sustainability, and social responsibility for international markets.

What are Growers Doing to Adjust?

The good news is that digital technology and AI are evolving at a rapid pace with new systems coming online everyday that help companies create operational efficiencies. Recent innovations in software development can offer technological solutions that are faster, easier to use and cost a fraction of what older ERP and sales and inventory management systems would cost.

The global floral industry magazine, Thrusd., offers some great insights in this article about how growers are looking towards production automation and technology to create new efficiencies that may have been cost prohibitive in the past.

As major enterprises increasingly use AI to automate routine functions and improve operational outcomes — from customer interactions to inventory processing — BelaStem brings similar AI-driven efficiencies directly into the workflow of flower farms. By reducing manual data entry and streamlining inventory and sales tasks, our platform helps growers focus on growth, not spreadsheets.

What are Growers Doing to Adjust?

The good news is that digital technology and AI are evolving at a rapid pace with new systems coming online everyday that help companies create operational efficiencies. Recent innovations in software development can offer technological solutions that are faster, easier to use and cost a fraction of what older ERP and sales and inventory management systems would cost.

As labor costs rise, operational efficiency is no longer optional. BelaStem helps growers do more with the same team — or the same output with fewer manual steps.

How BelaStem + Ask Rosie AI Create Real Efficiencies for Flower Farms

• One unified digital workspace
  Move away from fragmented spreadsheets, WhatsApp threads, and paper records. BelaStem centralizes production, inventory, availability, and sales into a single, easy-to-use system built specifically for floriculture.

• Ask Rosie™ AI — your digital operations assistant
  Ask Rosie helps automate and simplify everyday tasks — from managing inventory and tracking sales to answering questions and reducing manual data entry. Practical AI, designed for how flower farms actually operate.

• Lower software costs, higher ROI
  BelaStem’s affordable monthly subscription saves farms hundreds of dollars per month compared to large, complex enterprise systems — without sacrificing the core functionality farms actually use.

• A custom digital catalog & e-commerce site for your farm
  Every grower receives a branded, shareable catalog to present products and take orders — no more sending massive Excel files back and forth with customers.

• Export documentation made simple
  Generate key export documents like Factura Comercial and Packing Lists directly from the platform, reducing errors and saving valuable administrative time.

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BelaStem’s inventory management system, Stemtrackr, is designed for the real workflow of flower farms. This means workers can spend more time on activities that add value—cutting, grading, and preparing flowers—rather than reconciling data or correcting errors. For farms managing tight budgets, this shift helps offset increased labor expenses through measurable operational savings.

As leading business publications highlight, AI is no longer experimental — it’s becoming a practical tool for streamlining data entry, inventory management, quality control, and sales workflows. At BelaStem, we’re bringing these same efficiencies directly to flower farms through StemTrackr™.

The Colombian and Ecuadorian flower industries have endured challenges before—and each time, they’ve adapted with resilience and ingenuity. This moment calls for that same spirit. BelaStem was built not to replace tradition, but to reinforce it with modern tools that lighten the load and preserve the craftsmanship that defines our region’s flowers. We invite you to explore what BelaStem can do for your farm at Belastem.com—a small step that can make a meaningful difference in the year ahead.

Schedule a demo to learn how Stemtrackr by BelaStem can simplify your life and help you increase sales and productivity for your whole business.

Schedule a Demo

BelaStem at ProFlora 2025

What growers and buyers had to say about floral technology

The BelaStem team was excited to join ProFlora 2025 this year. With our mission of creating a direct market for family owned growers to sell directly to the thousands of floral professionals in the United States, we also heard from producers about their challenges with sales and product management software options.

BelaStem at ProFlora 2025

What did the growers at ProFlora have to say?

”We are looking for a system that can digitally handle our product information that also includes photos and detailed product descriptions.”

“We’ve found some of the other floral management software programs hard to use and don’t always provide support and features that are beneficial to us.”

What did some of the Floral Professionals visiting from the United States have to say?

“Even though I have been in this business for years, I always like to see a reference photo and description when growers and wholesalers send me their sales sheets. It makes it much easier for me when I am making orders.”

How BelaStem is Responding

We’ve taken this feedback and have incorporated it into our new BelaStem Stemtrackr system designed specifically for and from the input of small to medium sized floral producing companies.

Features include:

– Seamless onboarding of your entire catalog

– Easy editing and updating of photos, product descriptions in web based system

– AI enabled search function and command functions

– Magic Links to easily share your entire catalog with a simple link to your custom e-commerce site

– And many more….

Schedule a demo to learn how Stemtrackr by BelaStem can simplify your life and help you increase sales and productivity for your whole business.

Schedule a Demo

Introducing “Ask Rosie”

AI assistant for the BelaStem Marketplace

Everyone is talking about AI, everywhere. In the floral industry, everyone is also asking what will happen next. We at BelaStem are excited to introduce Ask Rosie™ – the flora AI assistant developed exclusively for BelaStem and Stemtrackr (powered by BelaStem).

Ask Rosie helps you work faster, smarter, and with fewer clicks. Whether you’re a flower producer managing your availability or a buyer searching for the perfect farm-fresh blooms, Rosie is always ready to help — in English or Spanish.

How can Ask Rosie™ help flower producers and sales teams?

Ask Rosie™ saves growers time by handling everyday questions and simplifying the sales process. Rosie can help you:

• Quickly update or check inventory in StemTrackr™

• Share availability links with your current customers

• Guide new buyers through your BelaStem storefront

• Answer questions about factura commerical and other documents

• Offer tips on using BelaStem 2.0 features to grow your sales

It’s like having a digital sales assistant who knows your farm inside and out.

How can Ask Rosie™ help buyers on BelaStem?

For floral professionals, Ask Rosie™ makes shopping farm-direct effortless.
Rosie can help you:

• Discover flowers by color, variety, or farm

• Check real-time availability and pricing

• Build and save custom order lists

• Track your shipment from farm to door

• Learn more about each grower’s story and certifications

Ask Rosie™ connects you directly with the world’s best farms — no middlemen, just fresh flowers faster.

BelaStem Monthly Flower Knowledge Vase

Flower Fact #1

As of 2025, in the United States there are:

• Over 12,000 retail florists

• Close to 4,000 Online floral shops
  Source: IBISWorld

Flower Fact #2

One of the first wholesale flower stores in the United States was opened in 1891 on East 28th Street in New York City by George E. Bradshaw and John R. Hartman.

Flower Fact #3

Chloris and Flora were the Greek and Roman Goddesses of flowers, respectively. Today the word Flora is the most popular name search for branding of floral companies while Chloris is rarely used!