 Figures from the major European Flower auctions reveal
that sales of roses dropped in 2006 by 5.9 per cent to 3.3 billion
stems, compared with 2005.
The year was better on the production side of things as the roses
achieved an average price of two cents more than in 2006 to bring them
to 23 cents a stem.
The supply of large flowered roses was up by two per cent while the sales increased by eight per cent. At the same time both the sales and numbers of small flowered roses dropped by 14 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.
At the European flower auctions sales of large flowered roses originating outside the EU dropped by 3 per cent. Sales of large flowered roses dropped by 17 per cent, while sales of small flowered roses rose by 17 per cent. The average price of roses from outside the EU was 15 cents in 2006, two cents more than in 2005. Large flowered roses from outside the EU continue to be around 60 per cent cheaper than roses from growers in the EU (EU: 27 cents, non-EU: 17 cents). This is all to do with the quality and shorter vase life of roses from outside the EU. These are transported by air from Africa and consequently suffer a loss of quality.
Nonetheless the major flower auctions in the EU continue to attract producers in Africa, South America, Asia and the Middle East. The huge number of distri-butors and the enormous EU market make the auctions their most attractive market. Despite all this, direct sales, specifically to supermarkets, continue to increase, especially from Africa.
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