Rose acreage in Europe gradually decreasing

Every year, the number of roses imported into Europe grows, especially from Africa. Around 65% of the imported roses currently comes from Kenya and Ethiopia. In collaboration with rose breeders, Royal FloraHolland is documenting the worldwide production of roses.

This survey provides insights into the acreage devoted to growing roses in each country, the developments and marketing channels.

Rose acreage in Europe gradually decreasing
Each year the acreage devoted to growing roses decreases further. In the past 5 years the decrease was 27%. In Europe there are currently around 1,700 ha for growing roses. In Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, there is still an average of 200 ha for growing roses in each country. High energy costs, legislation and the low prices for imported roses are greatly influencing the production.

In 2004 the Netherlands still had about 850 ha for rose production; this has declined to 238 ha in 2016. Rose growers are stopping or switching to another crop. The largest decrease was seen in Italy, where the production was much higher 10 years ago. Due to the low prices of imported roses, this decreased precipitously. But given its good quality, many varieties and innovation, rose cultivation will never disappear entirely from Europe.

Most roses grown in India
The greatest rose production in the world is in India, where they grow many of their own varieties. Indians use flowers for various purposes, such as:

Decoration for a wedding
Flower wreaths to welcome someone
Temple offerings

The next biggest acreage after India is found in China. Both countries grow roses primarily for domestic use, only a small proportion is destined for export.

Efficient production in Africa
The biggest production countries in Africa are Kenya and Ethiopia. The low wages and a policy to stimulate investment have led to increased production in Ethiopia. Business processes have improved, companies have modernised, and the quality is increasing. Other African production countries are Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa.

The Netherlands and Colombia most important export countries
For years, the Netherlands has been an important marketplace where Royal FloraHolland supplies many roses. The largest export countries for the Netherlands are Germany, France and the UK. Another major export flow runs from Colombia to the US. About 70% of the Colombian rose production finds its way to the US, where they are sold through several different channels. Roses are one of the most popular flowers in the US and are primarily sold in supermarkets and florist shops.
More information?

If you stay informed of the developments in production acreage and export flows, you can determine your position in the market more precisely. Would you like to know more about the production of roses, export flows and developments?

Request the report from Customer Services