Russian flower growers are facing hurdles in replacing imported flowers due to tightening import restrictions. It's projected that domestic flowers will occupy only half of the market in 35 years, potentially raising prices for imported blooms.
Recent bans targeted seeds and seedlings from the Netherlands, carnation imports from Ecuador, and rose imports from Ecuador and the Netherlands via the EU.
Lawmakers proposed raising tariffs on flower imports from unfriendly states from 3 to 15 % aiming to address the dominance of foreign products in the market.
Domestic flower prices have risen by about 10 % due to increased production costs, while imported flower prices could see further increases, depending on import restrictions.
The Russian flower market is estimated at 2 billion units annually, with roses dominating. However, domestic production only covered 18 % of the market in 2023.
Challenges persist in achieving complete import substitution, particularly in the quality gap between Russian-produced and imported planting material. Insufficient greenhouse infrastructure further hampers domestic production expansion.
Experts emphasize that just putting restrictions on imports isn't enough to solve the problems facing Russian floriculture.
Source: octagon.media