According to Floraculture International, traders in floricultural products in the Netherlands have rejected a proposed funding mechanism which could have secured the Dutch wholesalers plan to save Flower Council of Holland.
Between 27 March and 7 April, 3,900 Dutch growers and traders of flowers and plants cast their votes on the proposals, and while a majority of growers support the initiative, traders overwhelmingly voted against it reports the magazine.
Funding for Flower Council of Holland activities must be organised differently from 1 January 2024. Royal FloraHolland has announced that it will stop collecting payment from supplying growers and buying traders as of that date. From then on, the Flower Council of Holland wants to organise its funding via a General Binding Declaration (GBD) financed by all companies.
The main objection to the auction is that an uneven playing field has developed because ‘free riders’ are benefiting from the added value of collective activities without paying for it. The basic principle behind the GBD is that everyone contributes, including companies that do not supply or buy their cut flowers or house plants from Royal FloraHolland.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Association of Wholesalers in Floricultural Products (VGB), which represents 80 per cent of the Dutch trade, accuses Royal FloraHolland of irresponsible behaviour by putting at risk the very existence of the Flower Council of Holland and its generic floral promotion activities.
VGB chair Cees van der Meij stressed that a majority of his members are in favour of generic promotion and are willing to contribute to it, that is, under the current financial criteria and funding mechanism. He says, “The VGB has more than once warned on the risk of adopting a GBD which will automatically mean pulling the plug on the Flower Council. This is a situation we would truly regret, especially in an era where our sector is constantly under threat by media and environmentalists who question the industry’s pollution and climate impact.”
