"Last week I visited my customers in Iran. This country has many good flower growers and many of them grow lily bulbs."
These are the words (translated from Dutch) of Bart Duijvesteijn, account manager of Van den Bos Flowerbulbs for the Netherlands and Southeast Asia. In the article below he talks about his visit to the country and he shares his findings on the growing (conditions) and the market.
"The lily is a popular flower and it has a long history in the Middle East. Spring started in the first week of March, normally in Iran this is slightly later. In Iran the sun shines 350 days a year and this causes major problems with the supply of water. When you visit the country, you will be very surprised about the hospitality of the people. The food is high in calories and consists of many sweet dishes. At present it is possible to build long-term relationships since they have opened the market for Europe and the rest of the world. The people of Iran love to travel and to make contact with other countries. I will visit more growers throughout the year. The flower nurseries are located near large cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Mashad and Yazd. The best place for growing your lilies, callas and freesias is in the mountainous areas. There you have plenty of light during the day and at night the temperature drops.
During my visit I saw the first calla tubers coming up, which will bloom in late March, during new year in Iran. All families make it a special event, there are flowers and potted plants on every table to start the new year with the right inspiration. Flowers are very popular in Iran. You can find our lilies, callas and freesias in all flower shops. I visited seven current customers and two new businesses during my trip, also to open the market for the future. All in all it has been a very good visit for our products and for our company, because the growers like to work with us. During the Dutch Lily Days a group of lily growers from Iran will come to Holland to visit our company for two days. Late April we will also participate in the Green Trade Fair in Tehran. I look very much forward to our show!"
For more information:
Van den Bos Flowerbulbs
Bart Duijvesteijn
E: bart.duijvesteijn@vandenbos.com
www.vandenbos.com