Until not long ago, we unanimously agreed, whether flower lover, flower producer, teacher, mother, colleague or lover – that flowers are the way we show and receive appreciation from those around us, that they express both love, sensitivity but above all all, the good thoughts of the one who gives them, for the one who receives them. This is how the preferences and especially the associations between various plants and feelings, events, moments or people were born.
We produce flowers, import flowers, distribute flowers, buy flowers, sell flowers and give or receive flowers, taking it for granted that this beautiful resource is always available to us. We are used to flowers, we love them and we like it when their purpose is fulfilled. When their beauty achieves what is set out to do: a good impression for the recipient, a profit for the seller, a pleasant feeling for the passer-by, etc.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if one or more of our favorite flowers disappeared? But what if this was one of the plants that influenced the economy of Europe and especially of a country, cultivated since 1593, in Holland, this being the well-known tulip?
History says that this plant was brought to Holland from Turkey, as early as 1593, being very loved and appreciated, but more than that, it found “a home” in Holland, an ideal environment for its development or in simple words: it acclimatized. The Dutch raised this plant to a high level, both culturally and artistically. In a short time the varieties multiplied and the bulb trade took off. The fields of the small country soon became colorful, being cultivated with tulips but not only. The favorable climatic conditions as well as the developing technological knowledge of the growers, made Holland not only a country of tulips, but also a country of bulbs, of plants originating from bulbs in general. Among these plants, in addition to tulips, there are hyacinths, calla, allium, amaryllis and others!
Over time, the production and trade of bulbs in the Netherlands has experienced periods of growth or decline due to several factors, such as climate, viruses, the stock market, competition from other plants, etc. However, the Netherlands is, today, the most important producer and exporter of flowers in Europe and one of the most important players on the world flower trade market.
You must be asking yourself, why am I writing this article? Who do I address to? What do I want to convey? With your permission I will answer these questions below.
In recent years, bulb production in the Netherlands has been directly impacted by unfavorable weather conditions. As I said at the beginning, bulbs have found favorable conditions for development in the geographical area where the Netherlands is located. However, the climate is constantly changing globally and we all feel it. Cultivating bulbs outdoors, in an open field, is a variable that can directly impact the results of a production year. The continuation or prolongation of the disastrous natural phenomena for a duration longer than one or two years will lead not only to the damage of the harvest but also to the damage of the planting material, intended to be used for the propagation of the species and their multiplication for the future.
Whether we want to admit it or not, whether we publish this information or not, we are already witnessing a historically disastrous year for tulip and hyacinth bulb crops in the Netherlands. Whether we want to accept it or not, the (already limited) territorial areas cultivated with bulbs in the Netherlands are finite and decreasing from year to year, competing in parallel with a demand in the bulb market that is growing year by year. But with all this, nature is the only competitor that does not take into account any surrounding aspect or mitigating circumstance. My dears, this article is my personal way of letting you know that this year, this coming season, in terms of bulbs, will be a precarious one!
To whom do I address?
As a distributor of planting material in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, among the whole portfolio of distributed products, there is also an extensive range of bulbs, so I address first of all to the flower producer, our trusted partner, who every year conscientiously places his order (of bulbs in this case), leaving it with all confidence in our hands, knowing that in due time, he will receive what he ordered. And we are here to fulfill the above in the best possible conditions! But what do we do when external factors such as nature, when it prevents us from fulfilling our mission, that of delivering quality!? What do we do when our skill and conscientiousness pale in front of the unfortunate events that affect us? Well, we will NOT give up! We will not give up! We will continue and intensify our efforts to put our partner, our customer, the flower producer first! We will be honest and communicate all news from the production and harvest of bulbs in real time, we will ask for consent to change orders in the best possible way and we will fight to the last minute to deliver quality!
I am also addressing the end user. Dear flower lover, this year, when you buy a hyacinth or a tulip, or any other flower, don’t forget that, behind its beauty, there are hidden among others: years of genetic research corroborated with toil and stress, of the suppliers; expense, fears and enormous risks assumed without guarantees by the local producers – all to make possible that unique moment, those smiles and those special feelings that always have as protagonist, the flowers. All of this, along with labor, transportation, storage rents, marketing, etc., brings with it the shelf price of the end product. Choosing a higher price doesn’t make the other richer! But in this way you appreciate the one who worked harder!
Trying to answer the first two questions, I somehow also answered the third one, regarding my message. What is my message? What do I want to convey? I will quantify the answer in what follows. It is impetuously necessary to understand that crises of any nature can occur all the time both in life and in relationships of any type, including commercial ones. And it is essential that we choose to go through them together, in partnership, by understanding and adapting to unpleasant situations. In this way we can shape the market, the economy, but mostly we can shape our lives in such a way that we are more prepared, more evolved, more productive and last but not least, better to each other!
Delivering quality means that when one element in the equation, the most volatile and difficult to control, affects the quality of the whole equation – YOU, stay quality!
Ionut Pohrib
General Manager of Qualiplant Romania
