In the marketplace of Royal FloraHolland, 12.3 billion flowers and plants were traded in 2019, an increase of 1.5%. Product turnover was € 4.8 billion, an increase of 3.1% compared to 2018. There were both higher volumes and higher prices. The flowers and plants were supplied by 5,406 suppliers and purchased by 2,458 buyers. Operating profit amounted to € 5.6 million thanks to lower operating expenses. This is reflected in the annual report 2019 published on 23 April 2020.
Unprecedented impact corona crisis
CEO Steven van Schilfgaarde: “Over the past five weeks the sector has been hit very hard. I am confident that thanks to the government’s emergency pack and the € 600 million emergency fund, the sector will be able to get through this difficult period. When the crisis broke out, we were in good shape. I am confident that our sector is resilient. As soon as international demand recovers, we should be able to react immediately. We currently see some bright spots, but there is still a long way to go. We are accelerating the implementation of our strategy. We are fully committed to digitization, with all transactions in the market taking place digitally by the end of the year, and will continue even faster to prepare for the roll-out of “Landelijk Veilen” (national auction) in 2021. These projects are preconditions for bringing our costs structurally down to a lower level.
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