In this article you will find an update from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), who are involved in the crisis measures surrounding the Coronavirus and informs Royal FloraHolland about the impact of the virus on the export market.
France
On June 7, France celebrates Mother's Day. Probably the containment measures for shops will decrease slightly from May 11th. Companies will resume their activities, but not under normal public reception conditions. The recommendations on the flow of customers entering / leaving a store make it difficult for the retailer to achieve sales as before under the usual conditions. For this reason, a campaign has been launched to advise shops which measures are sensible in order to optimise sales. Reducing the number of contact moments and maximising sales opportunities are central to this. It is also suggested that higher costs should be taken into account when setting sales prices. (Source: JAF-info, 04-05-2020)
The FNPHP, the association of French ornamental plant breeders, proposes to the government a support and recovery plan for the French horticulture sector; on Thursday 30 April 2020, the FNPHP transmitted its "Support and recovery plan for the French horticulture sector in the Covid-19 crisis" to Mr Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister, Mr Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance and Mr Didier Guillaume, Minister of Agriculture. Following the disappointing announcements made by the European Commission on 22 April, which does not provide any financial support to the Horticultural Sector, it is up to the French government to assume its responsibility to save the agricultural sector. These are more than 20 measures that the FNPHP and the FNSEA are urging the government to take in order to find a way out of the crisis and allow a real revival of the sector. Since 15 March, the turnover of the horticultural activities realised in the spring, i.e. 70% of the annual turnover, has been at stake. (Source: JAF-info, 04-05-2020)
Belgium
Tax package of the city of Ghent; Ghent itself has put together a tax package of (smaller) measures to support the companies - including some ornamental growers in large Ghent. The market traders are not forgotten either. The City of Ghent will waive taxes for 3 full months. Next to the taxes, the fees for markets and itinerant trade will also be abolished for the same period. All these initiatives are of course limited to the territory of Ghent, but may also be applied by other municipalities or may certainly be a source of inspiration for other municipalities. (Source: AVBS, 04-05-2020)
Mother's Day action in Ghent; PuurGent, the medium-sized organisation of the City of Ghent, will soon organise a Mother's Day action. Ornamental growers can also respond to this by putting together a package of flowers, plants or regional products for Mother's Day. This is not only an option for ornamental growers in Ghent (Mendonk, Desteldonk, Zwijnaarde, Oostakker ...), but also for flower sellers on the Ghent flower market. Although these do not always come from Ghent, they do have a fixed point of sale in Ghent via the market. (Source: AVBS, 04-05-2020)
Italy
One week long Mother's Day in Italy; the Italian florist federation Federfiori wants to celebrate Mother's Day in Italy not only on Sunday 10 May, but for one week: from 4 to 10 May. A Mother's Day that lasts a week avoids long queues in front of the florist's shops and an overflow in the shops themselves. The granting of the holiday protects the health of customers and shopkeepers against the coronavirus, says Federfiori. The extension of Mother's Day also gives Italians every opportunity to buy flowers and plants for the Italian mothers, according to the Italian florist federation. (Source: Floristry trade journal, 4-05-2020)
The international trade exhibition for ornamental horticulture, green infrastructure and landscape architecture in Padua (Italy) will not take place this year. The organizer Fiera di Padova will start on 1 December with a virtual preview, the Flormart City Forum. Because of the corona crisis, the Flormart fair, which would take place on 23 to 25 September in the Padua Exhibition Centre, has been postponed for a year. Currently, the priority for companies in the floriculture and tree nursery sector is to tackle the corona crisis. "We are on the side of the 24,000 companies in the Italian floriculture and nursery sector that are facing a dark year," says Luca Veronesi, director of Fiera di Padova. (Source: Greenity, 01-05-2020)
Japan
Japanese customs have published their trade figures for the first quarter of 2020. The Dutch agro-export figures (Jan-Mar) decreased by two digits compared to 2019, but still roughly at the level of 2018. It is expected that things will deteriorate in April. Meat: € 30.2 million (-10.5%), dairy: € 26.3 million. (-13.3%), plants and flowers: € 0.5 million. (-23.6%), vegetables: € 1.2 million. (-33,4%). (Source: Agricultural Attaché Network Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, 01-05-2020)
The Netherlands
The preparations for the Horticultural Emergency Fund are in full swing. However, the scheme is not yet final. In order to prepare the affected companies for a smooth implementation of the support measure, the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) has already formulated a number of recommendations for the entrepreneurs. In order to apply for financial support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, entrepreneurs need eHerkenning level 1. Such an application may take a few days, but it is already possible to make that application or upgrade the eRecognition. (Source: The Floristry, 30-04-2020)
Especially at the beginning of the corona crisis, many direct orders were cancelled by trading parties. Often cited reason: 'force majeure'. Luitzen van der Sluis of law firm DVDW argues that trading parties should not simply divert the risk that their end customer does not decrease to their suppliers. According to lawyer Van der Sluis, if a Dutch trader purchases from a grower, he must do two things. Buy and pay. Unless agreed otherwise, the grower is completely outside the relationship with the trader's end customer. The agreement remains valid at all times between supplier and buyer. (Source: De Bloemisterij, 30-04-2020)
The 75th edition of the Rijnsburg Flower Parade will not pass through the Rijnsburg region until 14 August 2021. Due to the ban on events until 1 September 2020, the Rijnsburg Flower Parade will also be cancelled this year. Chairman Dirk Hogervorst indicated that the Flower Parade had been arranging a magnificent parade for months. "Over the past month we have of course taken into account the possible impact of the corona crisis. If only it had been possible and permitted, we could have put a modest parade on the road. Many of our partners were willing to cooperate. The ban means that we don't have to make a decision on this." (Source: The Floristry, 01-05-2020)
Horticulture has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, but how is the industry expected to develop and recover if we look at the past, the present and the future? Rabobank tried to predict the global economic effects and the effects on the floriculture sector. In our opinion, it will take 4 to 5 years for the industry to return to its 2019 level. In addition, sustainability targets (such as the Paris Climate Accord) in (indoor) horticulture may be more difficult to achieve due to the lack of funding (for geothermal heat, for example)". (Source: Floraldaily, 01-05-2020)
The corona pandemic is increasing the number of job-seekers both at home and abroad. Whether this will temporarily or more structurally reduce the shortage on the agricultural labour market is still very uncertain. This is stated in the Rabobank report 'Working together for future-proof labour in agriculture and horticulture'. ABN Amro reached a similar conclusion last week. The Rabobank report not only looks at the consequences of the corona crisis on the labour market situation. The analysis is broader and deeper. After all, the demand for labour goes beyond the urgent need for helping hands. Large-scale production, greater collaboration within the production chain, automation and digitisation make work in the agricultural sector more complex, but to some extent more monotonous. By investing in people and technology, the sector can prepare itself for a future with a sufficient number of employees. (Source: De Bloemisterij, 01-05-2020)
UK
In support of the HTA campaign to reopen garden centres, a guide has been drawn up to ensure that all garden centres open to staff and customers in a safe manner should the government formally announce a relaxation. The document contains guidelines on products to be sold, customer numbers in shops, entry and exit protocols and queuing and check-out procedures. The HTA will ask all their members to agree to the guidelines before reopening. This registration process is managed via the website plantsnearme.hta.org.uk, where consumers can see through the website which companies are following the guidelines. (Source: HTA, 01-05-2020)
The number of mail order orders of seeds, bulbs and plants has increased enormously. On the whole, many suppliers are recording an increase in sales of more than 20%. (Source: Agricultural Attaché Network Ministry of Agriculture, LNV, 29-04-2020)
Kenya
Nothing to celebrate for thousands of Kenyans on Labor Day. In March, companies started sending employees home because of the impact of COVID-19. Companies in the flower, tea, hotel, tourism, aviation and transport sectors were the first to take action. So far, nursery workers have been hardest hit, with around 80,000 people dismissed or currently on unpaid leave. (Source: Daily Nation, 01-05-2020)
President Uhuru Kenyatta and KEPSA (Kenya Private Sector Alliance) defend the Flowers of Hope initiative. The government has been criticized on social media for donating flowers to the United Kingdom. KEPSA director Carole Karuga said the flowers were donated by growers to health workers fighting Covid-19 in the UK. The donation was endorsed by President Uhuru Kenyatta, with a 'special' message on each bouquet offered. (Source: Daily Nation, 2 May 2020)
Poland
To inform about the impact of the coronavirus on companies, the Dutch-Polish Chamber of Commerce (NPCC) together with the Dutch Embassy in Poland organizes online webinars. On 23 April 2020, a webinar was organised with BNP Paribas (Michał Siwek) and TopAgrar (Karol Bujoczek) to assess the current state and future of agribusiness in Poland. The speakers noted that the corona crisis is expected to bring some changes in the F & A industry. First of all, the further development of e-grocery is expected, with limited contact with the end user (preference for click-and-collect). The second trend is the development of local stores, close to home, without a brand, but because of the demand for 'everything in one store', shopping streets may emerge. Consumers' shopping habits are also expected to change - they will look more for fresh, healthy food, trusted brands and larger packaging. Presentations of the webinar and the webinar itself can be found on the website: https://nlchamber.com.pl/covid-19-pandemia-in-poland-the-most-recent-information-presentations-most-important-contacts/. (Source: Agro-messages abroad, 30-04-2020)
Source: Royal FloraHolland
