Friday January 2, 07:12 PM
Dutch flower market wilts amid world economic downturn
THE HAGUE (AFP) - Dutch flower auction house FloraHolland, the world's largest, said Friday that its 2008 annual turnover growth had dropped from a projected 2.7 percent to 0.25 percent amid the world economic crisis.
"2008 was no fantastic year," said a FloraHolland statement, even as director Timo Huges expressed optimism that the effects had been "limited".
The company reported a turnover of just over four billion euros (5.6 billion dollars) for the year in sales of flowers and plants.
The number of traded plants and flowers grew by 1.3 percent to 12.4 billion.
"Even in economically difficult times, consumers in Europe seem to be brightening their homes with a colourful flower or a plant," said the statement.
FloraHolland said it expected 1.0 percent growth in turnover for 2009.
The Netherlands is the world's biggest flower exporter, with a billion Dutch tulip bulbs sold abroad every year.
In October, industry body HBAG reported that exports to Britain, a major Dutch market, fell by almost a fifth in September. Globally, Dutch exports declined by two percent in the first nine months of the year.
Flowers, bulbs and trees contribute 35 percent to the Netherlands' trade surplus, according to the economic ministry.
FloraHolland said it would cut its investment budget for 2009 by 38 million euros to 100 million euros.
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