The impact of Covid-19 has been felt throughout all sectors of the global economy. The global cut-flower industry was not spared: the indefinite pause on different activities such as events resulted in a decrease in floral demand. Union Fleurs says the European Union cut-flower market lost approximately $1.2 billion within the first six weeks of lockdown, a phenomenon that was never seen before.
As the world went into lockdown, it affected different floral countries across the globe. Below is how the floral industry is coping in three countries.
China
China's market area was the first affected by the pandemic. The government imposed movement secession at the beginning of the year to slow down the spread of the virus. The closure of businesses and limited shopping hours halted the flower businesses' operations. As a result, flowers were disposed of at farms.
Australia
The Australian government, at the start of the pandemic, limited public gatherings to 10 people. The future of the industry seemed daunting, but, in time, it became evident that the industry would survive despite flower shops being closed. Companies such as Pearsons Florist started receiving large online flower delivery orders from their clients, and the supermarket trade also saw a 15% increase in sales.
Netherlands
At the beginning of the pandemic, the flower industry in the Netherlands was affected. While flower exports were dipping, customer demand also decreased. Due to the decrease in sales, suppliers were forced to dispose of 85% of their produce. People captured these images on social media in response to the Flower Council of Holland creating a "Let Hope Bloom campaign." The campaign aimed at salvaging flowers led to a 65% increase in local flower sales.
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