"Every week, I get another price increase, either from the transport company or employment agency or the potting soil supplier or some other party." Speaking is grower Annemiek Hofland. She, at the request of VNO-NCW, gives a face to the disturbing figures that a quarter of entrepreneurs in the energy-intensive sectors expect to make serious losses already this year due to the extremely increased energy prices.
Frank and Annemiek Hofland at the Autumn Fair 2021
Naaldwijk-based Hofland Flowering Plants is a family business that has been around for 122 years. "My brother and I are the 5th generation. We grow garden and indoor plants whose price is mostly determined by the supply on the market. Getting/requesting a higher selling price is therefore not a matter of course as our suppliers can. It is difficult to pass on price increases in our selling price. Therefore, we are all facing a very tense autumn. We are extremely worried about our sector, but also about other sectors where similar issues are at play."
In the contribution, Annemiek also discusses how the problems for greenhouse growers affect the entire chain. Read the entire article here (in Dutch).