The total growth of the Dutch plant and flower exports up until August is still around 6%, with a total value of just over €4 billion. This is the first time ever in the history of the Dutch export trade that the turnover exceeds €4 billion by August”, says the VGB.
According to Wesley van den Berg of Floridata, “There is, however, a dampening effect of the stronger euro, for a few countries.” The strong euro has negatively influenced the export to distribution countries that don’t use this currency.
Exports to the USA for example, went down from +12% in 2016 to just above zero. A year after Brexit was announced, the export value to the UK has changed from a stable value in the middle of 2016, to the current -7%. The weaker value of the dollar against the euro has also had consequences for the international flows in the flower trade.
Exports to Russia weren’t affected by the weak, but currently stable, exchange rate of the rouble. In the run-up to the important first day of school for the flower sales, exports to Russia increased in August, reaching a 38% growth for the year so far.
With the largest decrease (-9%) for Denmark, the Scandinavian market seems to be stagnating at the moment. Exporters expect that this is only temporarily though, pointing out how stable sales to these countries has been over the years. It is expected that sales to the Scandinavian markets will pick up again. According to VGB director Matthijs Mesken, “Exporters have noticed an increasing international competition and expect that the current growth of the global market will continue for a while”.
A trend oberved earlier this year was that flower sales increased more than pot and garden plant sales and this trend continued in August. Flower exports increased by 5% in the past month, reaching an average growth of 7% and a total value of € 2.6 billion up until August. Dutch exporters’ plant sales went down by 2% in August, but they’re still looking at an average of +4% for the year so far, reaching a total value of € 1.6 billion up until August. Bringing the total to € 4.2 billion.
