According to Mark-Jan Terwindt, general manager of Royal Anthos (the Dutch Trade Association for Nursery Stock and Flower Bulbs), the heavy rain experienced by Dutch growers over the last two years could see a shortage of tulips on the market next year.
The weather has delayed bulb planting leading to a shortage of crop with Mark-Jan told the ANP news agency, “We have never experienced this before.” According to a report by FloraDaily, the wholesale price of flower bulbs has already doubled or tripled in some markets, with crops such as crocuses and ornamental alliums.
‘In January this year it became clear that the tulip bulb harvest would cause considerable problems,’ Royal Anthos said on its website. ‘Due to extremely wet conditions, the basic material, which provides new tulip bulbs every year, could be planted too late, and in some cases could not be planted at all. The rain, sometimes accompanied by hail, continued, which further complicated the situation. Although the damage on the land was sometimes already visible, the real extent only became clear when the harvest was brought in in June/July this year.’
