Welcoming Christmas and New Year in Tomohon

The moment of welcoming Christmas & New Year is a blessing, mercy and grace for the flower farmers in the villages of Kakaskasen Satu, Kakaskasen Dua, Kakaskasen Tiga and Kakaskasen, who are the main providers of fresh cut flowers in Tomohon City. From ancient times, Kakaskasen Village (now divided into 4 sub-districts), in Tomohon City, has been very famous for its potted fresh flower plants and cut fresh flower plants as well as its fresh flower arrangements, which are sold freely at flower stalls. Along Jalan Raya Kakaskasen - Tomohon, when welcoming the Holy month of Christmas and New Year, when the need for fresh flowers and potted plants soars, new flower stalls or florists will appear. The increasing demand makes cut flower farmers compete to plant cut flowers, some even planted more than usual. And almost all the fresh flower farmers are members of the Tomohon City ASBINDO farmer group.

There are around 650,000 standard and spray chrysanthemum cut flowers. and thousands of other cut flowers which are also planted by flower farmers to welcome the holy month of Christmas & New Year, such as Kerk lily, Rose, Gerbera, Aster, Hortensia, Gladiolus, Pikok, Tuberose, and Amaryllis. These cut flowers will begin to be planted in mid-September 2023, and will be harvested in the third week of December.

Garden Visit to Lembang Bandung

The ASBINDO Garden visit to Lembang was held on October 26 2023 at CV. Istana Bunga Kaktus at Kp. Sukamulya, Lembang, West Bandung Regency and CV. Ranata Nursery at Kp. Buniasih, Lembang, Kab. West Bandung. Garden Visits are one of the Organizational Programs which aims to strengthen relationships between members and exchange information, insights and learn from each other. This event was attended by 21 participants, which started at 10.00 WIB with an opening from the Head of Organizational Affairs, Mrs. Ch. Atik Setyawati, then remarks from the General Chairperson of ASBINDO, Mrs. Hesti Widayani, as well as remarks and presentation of material from the owner of CV. Istana Bunga Kaktus, Mr Aldy Ridwan.

CV. Istana Bunga Kaktus is a company that operates in the agricultural sector as a cultivator, export and import of ornamental plants. With an area of ​​1,500 m2, this company cultivates various kinds of cactus, succulent and Sansevieria ornamental plants. Having more than 10 years of experience in cultivating ornamental plants, CV. Istana Bunga Kaktus is able to produce quality ornamental plants that penetrate the export market. To date, there are more than 20 export destination countries, including America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This company also imports to increase the diversity of plant varieties it has.

CV. Ranata Nursery is a company formed by several people as a group of millennial farmers engaged in the export of ornamental plants. This company has been exporting for seven years to America, Europe and Asia with a turnover of millions of US dollars each year. For production, a special nursery was built for breeding (conventionally) and a tissue culture laboratory. The ornamental plants that are cultivated are ornamental leaf plants (Araceae) such as Alocasia, Aglaonema, Anthurium, Homalomena, Philodendron, Rhaphidopora, Syngonium, etc.

It is hoped that from the garden visit program which is scheduled once every 2-3 months, this activity can be a means of exchanging ideas, information and knowledge as well as discussions among ASBINDO members, especially regarding various aspects of the ornamental plant business, and can provide benefits for ASBINDO members.

ASBINDO Visit to Tomohon

In order to improve working relations and strengthen friendship between ASBINDO and its members, on 9 - 13 August 2023 the General Chair, Hesti Widayani together with the ASBINDO Management and members, namely Damayani Sabini, Harto Kolopaking, Sri Wahyuni ​​and Loula Umboh, visited Tomohon to meet with Gapoktan ASBINDO Tomohon also attended the Tomohon International Flower Festival 2023 (TIFF 2023).

In TIFF activities, Hesti Widayani together with Karen Tambayong and Caroline Betsy Diana Pakasi were the TOF Judges who were tasked with assessing 28 flower-decorated vehicles or floats (9 small floats and 19 large floats) made by Tomohon City decorators which were displayed in the float parade . The General Chairperson of ASBINDO is very proud and welcomes the collaboration and involvement of ASBINDO Tomohon Gapoktan members in TIFF 2023, who are not only providers of cut chrysanthemum flowers and other fresh materials, but also as float makers in this national activity, and hope that in the future, Gapoktan member farmers can producing more types or variations of flowers and other supporting materials, such as leaves. Creativity and innovation are one of the demands to make floriculture products (cut flowers, cut leaves, twigs, roots and other plant parts, etc.) more attractive, so that other benefits from floriculture products can be felt more, not only aesthetic benefits, but more broadly, it covers social, cultural and economic aspects that can drive the regional economy. 

ASBINDO's role as a government partner in supporting the development of the Indonesian Floriculture industry, really hopes for better and closer cooperation between ASBINDO and the Tomohon City Government.