Royal FloraHolland keeps a close eye on developments related to the Coronavirus in order to keep our (member) suppliers, buyers, employees and visitors to our locations safe and healthy. In addition, we inform you about the consequences of the corona virus on the Dutch and international horticultural market. This has been supplemented with news from our own sources, colleagues of Royal FloraHolland.
Country update Friday 13th November
We have included the most important international market developments in a report. This report (PDF) provides an update on flower and plant sales in: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Israel. It is indicated how long a possible lock-down per country takes and what effect this (possibly) has on the floriculture sales outlets.
Open the report with international market developments
This report contains information as known on Friday 13th November 9.00 a.m. Although this report has been compiled with the greatest care, it is possible that the current situation in a particular country or region is different from that shown here. No rights can be derived from this report.
Country update Friday 6th November
We have included the most important international market developments in a report. This report provides an update on flower and plant sales in: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Israel. It is indicated how long a possible lock-down per country will last and what possible effect this has on the floriculture sales outlets.
Open the report with international market developments ยป
This report contains information as of Friday 6th November 9.00 a.m. Although this report has been compiled with the greatest care, it is possible that the current situation in a particular country or region is no different from that shown here. No rights can therefore be derived from the information provided in this report.
Country Update Monday 2nd November
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.
The most important country updates of Friday 30th October. Any changes since Friday 30th October are not included in this overview.
France
France started their second lockdown on October 30th. President Macron announced that the lockdown will last until December 1st . Unlike the first Lockdown, a number of activities, such as public services, wholesale and food markets, will be remain open. The construction sector, public works, factories and agriculture will also continue to operate during this time. Florists will remain open this weekend in connection to All Saints' Day and will close on Monday 2nd November.
Agrifood exports from France are down 4% in the first half of 2020, a loss of 1.3 billion compared to the first six months of 2019. The damage remained relatively limited thanks to the exceptional results achieved in cereal exports. However, micro-enterprises and SMEs in the agri-food sector have been severely affected. These companies are very important in terms of employment and certainly in rural areas outside the big cities.
United Kingdom
In all parts of the United Kingdom, new measures are in place locally based on risk categories in municipalities. These are aimed in particular at limiting social contact. Shops remain open in most cases even in the highest risk category. The exception is Wales, where all non-food retail outlets closed by October 23rd with supermarkets having to stop selling non-food products, including flowers and plants. The hospitality industry closes at 10 p.m. in England and visits to the hospitality industry are only allowed to be made with your own household except in the open air.
The quarantine rules for travellers to the United Kingdom have remained in full force.
However, remarkably more flowers have been sold (+10% between mid-September and mid-October). Surveys show that consumers are generally buying more British product and visiting farm shops more often.
Germany
The general picture is that the closure of restaurants and cafes during November is mainly detrimental to breweries and the processing of potatoes for pommes frites. In the retail sector, the general picture is mixed. Turnover has increased somewhat, but prices (e.g. for meat and milk) have fallen. The fact that the canteens still remain open alleviates the pain.
Spain
In Spain, a state of emergency has been declared until May 9th 2021. This state of emergency enables measures to be taken against Corona. These measures will change regularly and will also vary from one Autonomous Community to another. Currently, curfews are in place in all regions except the Canary Islands, and travel within Spain is very limited.
Bank Cajamar ( the 'Spanish Rabobank') has published a report on developments in the Spanish meat sector over the last few months and with an outlook ahead to the rest of 2020. 65% of the companies have seen their revenues go down, 14% up and the rest are on an equal level. Price developments are also shown in graphs in the report. The entire report in Spanish can be found here.
Portugal
For the time being, the hospitality industry is still open and we see few changes in the fruit / fruit / meat / dairy market, but new measures are expected after the Council of Ministers meeting on Saturday 31st October.
Poland
At the moment there is no National lockdown in Poland, but the hospitality industry is closed (only takeaway allowed) and museums have to work with sanitary regulations. Weddings are not allowed throughout the country. For the most part, events take place online. New announcements are expected in the near future due to a large increase in infections. Poland's internal borders with other EU Member States are open. As of 30th October, there is currently no quarantine measure on entry into Poland. However, on return to the Netherlands, quarantine will apply, including for labour migrants. Always check the latest travel advice from Foreign Affairs.
The habits of Polish consumers have changed due to the pandemic. 82% of consumers do their shopping less often (an average Pole normally visits a shop almost 45 times a month) but purchases have became larger (52%). In general, Poles search for basic products (vegetables, fruit, flour). According to several specialists, corona time is a good time to present good eating habits to consumers and to offer more fruit and vegetables into the daily diet. Several customers are also looking for organic and eco products and are also shifting to basic food. So it turns out that the pandemic can change consumers' habits significantly, which could also have an impact on the food sector in Poland at a later stage.
Belgium
The Belgian government has already taken additional measures in recent weeks, such as the closure of the catering industry and the curfew. Extra measures are now being added. In principle, the drastic measures will last six weeks and take effect at midnight on 01 November.
Meetings outside are only allowed with a maximum of four people at a safe distance. And the rule of four indoors expires. Only one person may be invited at a time.
The vacation parks will close as of Tuesday. And there is closure of many stores, the so-called non-essential stores. In order to avoid the competitive disadvantage, it is not intended that supermarkets continue to offer certain goods that are normally offered in those stores. Unlike in the first period, flower stores, garden centers and hardware stores may remain open.
Italy
In Italy a curfew is in force and travel between different areas is not allowed.
Source: Royal FloraHolland