There have been rumors going around for a while now, saying that FloraHolland is looking to take the Dutch floristry sector’s marketing and promotion into its own hands, by incorporating the activities that currently fall under the auspices of the Flower Council. Branch organization VGB says there is no chance of an actual takeover however, as the organized horticulture trade has as much influence in the Flower Council as FloraHolland’s auction and growers do. There is, however, a discussion underway as to whether a new structure may be required for the Flower Council.
“A takeover would require our agreement, which will quite simply not be forthcoming unless the trade gets an equal say [in the control of the Council]”, CEO of the VGB Robert Roodenburg explains. As it stands today, the wholesale trade has a fifty percent participation in Flower Council, with the auctions – on behalf of the producers – ‘owning’ the other half.
What exact form the new and improved Flower Council would take is as yet a topic of discussion, but the idea is that the marketing activities of the council and those of the auction would merge in its new incarnation. Currently, both the Council and the FloraHolland auction engage in marketing their goods towards the market, although there is a difference in emphasis. The Flower Council is oriented much more towards the consumer, whereas the auction, which is owned by the growers, looks at the supply chain from much more of a producer’s point of view. The VGB indicates that both strategies are important and therefore need to supplement and strengthen each other.
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