Dutch growers exported 5.8 billion flowering bulbs

ZOETERMEER – Production and export statistics do not tell the entire story but still offer a glimpse of the health and welfare of the flowering bulb industry. The export value of bulbs dropped by three percent even though the export volume increased by two percent. The total value exported by Dutch growers came in at 579.8 million euros of which the sales within the EU were worth 270.5 million euros. Within the EU Germany's remained the largest bulbs customer, the only one to import a rising volume, while the sales drop to Sweden (16 percent), Italy and the U.K. (each 15 percent) were the sharpest. The value of sales to China increased by 60 percent to 25.6 million euros, Taiwan with 26 percent and South Korea with 12 percent. Tulips, with 1.9 billion of the 5.8 billion bulbs, remain the largest commodity of the flowering bulb export, lilies 1.1 billion followed by gladioli with 678 million.