The Ash Cloud’s Grower Impact

The Icelandic volcano that erupted earlier this month, filling the atmosphere with ash, shut international flights down and prevented a number of exhibitors and attendees at this year’s California Spring Trials from flying home as they had originally planned. But as unfortunate as those major flight delays were, they weren’t the only consequence to impact those in the greenhouse floriculture industry internationally.

According to Flowerweb, the international supply of flowers, particularly the supply of roses and summer flowers to FloraHolland in The Netherlands, was greatly slowed. The shipment delays resulted in price increases on crops like roses, gypsophila, carnations and goldenrods. Pricing for other products has been more stable in the aftermath of the ash cloud, and pricing for roses, gypsophila, carnations and goldenrods is gradually dropping as supply increases.

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Over the last week, 5 to 10 percent of the product at the FloraHolland Trade Fair was sourced outside The Netherlands. This week, the trade fair’s product supply has a more international reflection, with about 20 percent of product being sourced outside The Netherlands.

Flowerweb reports international growers have suffered damages amounting to several million euros per day as a result of the slowdown in flower shipments.

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