People in Poland are increasingly buying locally produced flowers and plants. This is shown by export figures - Poland is one of, if not the biggest grower - and there is also a growing interest in this country from the sector. A new exhibition like FlowerExpo Poland, where Dutch and Polish parties from the sector are being brought together, underlines this development. It will be held in the capital of the country from September 1-3, 2016. In a recent, joint study by students from the University of Amsterdam and the University of Krakow, the market potential, the challenges and opportunities are supported by data.
Flower loving
In 2015 Poland imported flowers and plants for €214.7 million. 69% of this, or 148 million euros, came from the Netherlands. This number is growing rapidly. This year the total export turnover also looks to show significant growth.
According to the report the causes for this are unclear. The report discusses both political and economic as well as social, cultural and technological trends and developments. As is more or less known, the Polish economy is growing rapidly, the country has an open outlook and intrinsic motivation to innovate and the country can be described as 'flower-loving'. In addition, consumers have more to spend, production and commerce are rapidly modernizing and the country has an open and free business environment.
Challenges
At the same time, not all that glitters is gold. The researchers extensively discuss challenges in the report. Before plunging into the country, the Dutch entrepreneur would be wise to form the best possible picture of international market developments. The country is rapidly moving towards more efficient production and can increasingly better serve its domestic market. And markets beyond, like the Russian market. Traditionally a large consumer of flowers, this market always wants to obtain product from elsewhere - and Poland is among the countries jumping at the opportunity. Also, its production is considerably cheaper.