Weather remains one of the biggest factors influencing the horticultural market. And when it's extremely good or extremely bad, you notice its effects even more. This week, auctioneer Paul Freriks shares his insights on how the current warm weather is impacting supply levels and pricing at the auction clock. He also offers an important tip on setting an effective minimum price—something that's especially crucial during periods of high supply.
Warm weather leads to more flowers and plants
It's been warm and sunny for weeks now, even though summer only officially began last weekend. This warmer weather has led to an increase in the supply of flowers and plants. That's good news in many ways, but it also has an impact on prices.
Prices under pressure due to high supply
With the increased supply, prices for some flowers and plants have come under pressure. Even exclusive, high-quality products felt the impact—though they were still in good demand. However, flowers that were overripe or of lower quality had a tougher time selling. When the weather heats up, delivering products at just the right stage of ripeness becomes even more important—especially for varieties like peonies. This is particularly crucial when they're destined for export, where transport times can affect quality. So, make sure to take this into account when harvesting and preparing your shipments.
How did the flowers do?
Chrysanthemums, carnations, and roses saw a slight dip in prices, but overall they sold well and still brought in decent returns. Seasonal flowers showed a more varied picture. Products with high supply—like peonies, limonium, and gypsophila—fetched lower prices compared to last year. Meanwhile, flowers with more limited availability—such as waxflowers, strelitzia, gentians, and hellebores—performed better on the market.
Also lower prices for plants
We're seeing a similar trend with plants: the warm weather is putting significant pressure on prices there as well. Blooming indoor plants like kalanchoe and campanula are facing extra challenges. The good weather means more products are coming to the auction clock. But if you wait too long to deliver them, they may become overripe, and in most cases, buyers aren't interested in those. The mandevilla season is nearly over. Overall, this plant has had a strong season with good sales performance.
Tip: provide a good minimum price
Finally, I'd like to highlight the importance of setting a good minimum price. For the past year and a half, we've been using individual grower minimum prices because every grower has their own cost structure. This system allows suppliers to set their own minimum price when offering products at auction.
It's a smart move because if you don't enter a price, the default minimum is just €0.01, which is usually far too low.
Keep in mind: a minimum price is not a target price. So don't set it too high. A well-considered minimum price can be a useful way to show buyers that your product won't and shouldn't sell below that amount.
However, be aware: if the auction price falls below your set minimum, the product won't be sold—it will be destroyed. So think carefully when setting it.
To those heading off on an early summer break—enjoy your holiday! And to everyone else, here's to a colourful, blooming summer in the Netherlands!