The green interface

The trade in flowers and plants has traditionally played a major role in the Netherlands. The country exported some 3.15 bn cut flowers and 1.99 bn potted plants in 2010. So it is no coincidence that by far the biggest organisation for trading flowers and plants is located in the Netherlands: it is the flower auctioneer Flora Holland, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Every day the cooperative receives supplies from 8 000 growers, while every day also sees 2 500 professional customers, including many exporters and wholesalers, come to buy from the company, which has a good 4 000 employees. Last year Flora Holland’s sales amounted to € 4.13 bn, or eight per cent more than the previous year. The biggest product group with a volume of € 2.3 bn is cut flowers (a plus of eight per cent). In second place are house plants at € 1.4 bn (plus four per cent), with garden plants coming third at € 355 mio (plus six per cent). The volume sales of all flowers and plants combined notched up an increase of nearly seven per cent to twelve billion pieces, though the cooperative had recorded sales losses in the previous year. Flora Holland’s flower auctions, with their markets in Aalsmeer, Bleiswijk, Eelde, Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg, as well as the Veiling Rhein-Maas (which has been operated as a joint venture with the German Landgard company since October 2010), have remained cooperative organisations. Where the flower and plant suppliers are concerned, 5 000 of the 8 000 are cooperative members. Even in 2011 the auction clock is still a vital sales instrument, though it tends to be used as a projection or virtually through the internet nowadays. Around half of all cut flowers are now sold on the internet. Approximately 85 per cent of the overall auction sales are exported to some 140 countries. The most important customers are from Germany, England and France, while the strongest growth markets are the countries of central and eastern Europe, plus Russia. Flowers and plants from international producers are increasingly being sold there, in addition to goods produced in the Netherlands. The Flora Holland flower auctions, with imports from 60 countries, are achieving great significance as a commercial and logistical interface for this sector. Download: