Auctioneer Erik Wassenaar takes you behind the shot of this week ’s flower and industrial plant pricing secret plan . " As an auctioneer , I witness damage teddy every calendar week — sometimes dramatic one . The decorative horticulture grocery store is never boring . I ’m happy to give you some insight into what ’s really happening with prices on the auction clock . Are they really as low as people think ? Or is there more to the story ?
Prices are holding up wellMany in our industry take for granted price around this time of year are always " restrained to low . " I take heed it often in my role . But when I expect at the act from recent hebdomad , the reality tells a dissimilar story .
Yes , we ’ve just occur out of a period of strong prices , so it can feel like a letdown when they reelect to what ’s " normal " for this season . As an auctioneer , you have to let the clock do its chore — but it ’s still tough to see prices fall when you ’ve grown used to higher one .
That said , the fair flower price on the auction clock this class ( so far ) is really higher than last year’s — and eminent than previous years as well . Only in workweek 11 was the price just half a cent lower than last twelvemonth . So overall , that ’s pretty good news !
Fewer flowers , higher pricesStill , it ’s not all rosy . Prices and availability always go bridge player in bridge player . And week after workweek , we ’re seeing significantly fewer flowers going to auction off compare to last year — we’re peach decade of millions fewer per week .
So while a higher modal price sounds positive , it does n’t mechanically have in mind growers are bring in more . Selling fewer stems per square cadence at long last convey in less receipts — especially since yield cost remain high-pitched . That ’s not a sustainable formula .
Not every flower is thrivingThere are also major difference between products . Take short - stem rose wine ( 40 centimetre and under ) , for example — they’ve had a problematical metre recently . But the strange matter is : that can modify overnight . Pricing can on the spur of the moment swing back into very convinced soil . That volatility is part of what make auctioneering exciting — but also gainsay .
Mother ’s Day : The next milestoneIf we can uphold these current Leontyne Price levels through Mother ’s daylight , it would be well above expectations — sure enough beyond my prospect . When I combine this outlook with RFH ’s recently published 2024 figures , the overall mood and future vista look increasingly positive . Still , we have to delay cautious — nothing is ever guaranteed in our market .
outflow Is in the AirA lot depends on the conditions . And thankfully , it ’s starting to cooperate . The sun is out , although we could employ a snatch more passion . You could emphatically say , " springiness is in the airwave . "
People are getting out of doors more , as we examine last weekend with strong attendance at Keukenhof and the Flower Parade through the Bollenstreek terminate in Haarlem . Hopefully , all this floral beauty go on to inspire mass to buy more flowers .
German Tourists as a test caseThe week after Easter is always a scrap of a exam case : many German tourist spend their holidays in the Netherlands . That intend they ’re not at home — so they ’re also corrupt fewer flowers . We see this tendency every year in the number . What gist that will have on prices this class ? We ’ll have to wait and see . So far , so expert !
