Lower U.S. demand impacts Dutch flowering bulb trade

ZOETERMEER – The hectares in tulips is nearly unchanged in the current flowering bulb season. There is a significant decline however in the number of hectares planted with daffodils, crocuses and irises. The decline in hyacinths is less significant. Other flower bulb varieties also experienced a drop. The Dutch bulb growing industry had export sales of about $844 million in 2007. The data for 2008 has not yet been published. The Dutch planted 10,250 hectares with tulips (a decline of one percent), 1,570 hectares with daffodils (a drop of 11 percent), 1,220 hectares with hyacinths (a drop of six percent), for a total of 14,200 hectares (a drop of four percent). The bulb industry decline can be attributed to a dropping demand in the U.S., the biggest customer of flowering bulbs. In 2007, exports to the U.S. declined by 7 percent.