NL: Orchid prices up by 1 euro

"It's been incredibly busy the last few days. Last week we shipped a few big orders that came in at the last minute, and we've been getting up to 1 euro more per plant. For us and our colleagues it's finally some positive news again," says Jan Termeer from Hoog Bos orchid nursery.

On Sunday it's Mother's Day so the company is, as well as other growers and at the auction, buzzing with activity. After all, in the span of about two weeks the amount of flowers traded goes up a few dozen percent. The weather becomes a source for speculation and other events such as a closed auction day can cause emotions to flare up.

Mother's Day is first and foremost a day for bouquets, as one out of four mothers in Europe receive flowers or plants as gifts. The majority will receive flowers, and roses are the most popular. In an usual week, FloraHolland's sales are on average around 80 million euros, and for this week they expect almost 135 million. 20 percent are roses, explained auctioneer of the rose product group Menno Nan, earlier this week.

Phalaenopsis
Plants are performing well this year too, just like last year. For example, Dijk from Dijk Hortensias reports that hydrangeas sales were up 15 percent compared to last year. Other growers are also showing positive numbers.

The exception until now had been the orchid. Prices were down at the end of last year and at the start of this year. Now, for Mother's Day, it will be corrected, at least partly. "Normally you can sell more plants, but not necessarily for more money", Jan says. "That is different now. Over the last few months business has been picking up, especially because we focus on multi-branch varieties. It's clear that other growers have also been selling well. There were significantly less flowers at the auction, which tells the story, doesn't it? Moreover, promotions at various retailers required extra shipments."

International
Mother's Day is celebrated around the world and in many countries including the US. This year, it falls on May 13 and it is expected that more than 2.5 billion dollars (2.17 billion euros) will be spent on flowers. Colombia and Ecuador are the major flower suppliers to the US, but also in these countries Mother's Day is celebrated. For Colombian plant growers Mother's Day means a substantial sales boost, accounting for up to 20 percent of their annual revenue.

Missing carts
The auction clocks in Naaldwijk and Aalsmeer are not running, but more problematic is the alleged shortage of flower carts. At the auction, this has led to waiting times and frustration for both traders and growers. The auction itself carries only part of the blame. "As a result of the cold spring, many CC containers were left with customers, simply because the plants weren't sold. The return flow was not there (yet) or started too late. At the same time, in the run-up to the busy period the demand for CC containers increased", according to a statement of the cooperative, published on their website. Everything is being done to address the shortage, and extra carts and plates are being shipped to locations where they are needed most.