Last year the Dutch floriculture sector exported 2.4 billion Euros in house plants, a new record. However, the total export of flowers and plants combined dropped by four percent, making the export market for flowers and plants just under 6 billion euros, according to Floridata and branch organisation, VGB.
The export of flowers dropped by 8 percent to 3.5 billion Euros, which means a drop in revenue of 300 million. Because of this, the margins for traders are under pressure, warns VGB CEO Matthijs Mesken.
The overall fall was partly due to the November lockdown in the UK, France and Germany, the top exporting countries which led to a 42 per cent decrease in exports to France that month.
Supermarkets and DIY centres worldwide, especially the UK, France and Germany, have been selling more flowers, while the wholesale at flower shops has gone down.
Traders are showing resilience, but the new lockdown causes new uncertainties. Especially with some of the most important days ahead like Valentine’s and Mother’s day. The top 16 export countries for Dutch flowers, including the UK, account for 88.5% of the total export turnover.
The Dutch Agricultural and Horticultural Association, LTO, is advising members on post-Brexit plant export to the UK, which requires a phytosanitary document and an export document with products. It is important that product names and codes match across all documentation, so no Dutch names on one document and Latin names on another.
Companies that want to export to the United Kingdom in the first quarter of 2021 can indicate this in advance to Naktuinbouw. There will be no UK import tariffs on products from the European Union.
