The Netherlands is fighting to retain its crown as the world's top auction house for flowers as growers in Africa and elsewhere increasingly sell directly to buyers.
The country grew wealthy selling tulip bulbs in the 17th century during the so-called Dutch Golden Age and remains the second largest agricultural exporter behind the United States.
For decades the FloraHolland cooperative has acted as the hub from which planeloads of flowers from around the world are distributed from vast, air-conditioned warehouses in Aalsmeer, near Amsterdam airport.
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