PMAC weekly update 25th February to 1st February
1. Government agencies: FYI Changes, Recall of salads to manage listeria risk, Customs Digital trade innovation
2. New Zealand News: Three new diplomatic appointments, Farm emission cuts do-able, says Climate Commission, What the China-NZ free trade agreement upgrade means, Pic’s Peanut Butter to trial growing peanuts in Northland, Hort sector denied support!, Science system revamp urged, How bright will horticulture's star shine in 2021?, Fruit growers reassure customers after packaging scare in China, Crunch time for struggling Otago orchards, Zespri attempt to buy counterfeit Chinese kiwifruit denied by regulator, Zespri selects SAP Cloud Solutions in multi-year deal, Boysenberries NZ celebrates inaugural cuisine award winners, Autogrow unveils WayBeyond
3. International news: GAIN reports; Czech bill boosting domestic food in supermarkets might conflict with EU regulations, Investors sue Bayer over purchase Monsanto, Canada's agri-food sector to put sustainability first", "Bioponics, a viable and sustainable agricultural solution", France's Nutri-score label expands, Inner packaging of imported cherries said have tested COVID-19 positive, COVID-19 panic to destroy Chinese consumers’ hard-earned ‘cherry freedom’: importer, Chile acts swiftly to avert cherry crisis, Is It True That Australian Cherries Are Low Quality?, End to container shortage may be in sight, Sweden publishes foodborne illness data for 2008-2018, Fyffes launches new website, Study on environmental health and willingness to compost fresh cut floral waste, Royal FloraHolland's international floriculture market update
Comment
The beginning of February – we are already 1/12th of the way through 2021 and the last week has seen the NZ/ China FTA extension signed and NZ’s Climate Commissioner state that to meet our 2050 carbon reduction targets 2,000 hectares of pastoral farmland will be available to convert to horticulture annually by 2030. It looks as though Horticultures star will continue to shine brightly into 2021.
In the New Zealand section you will see three articles reporting conversations with Barry O’Neil (Chairman of HortNZ) two of which report on topics that will be important if Horticultures star is to meet expectations . Solutions for labour and water problems and a strong science system that can support primary industry especially with the breeding of new varieties are identified as crucial.
In the same section Zespri’s attempt to minimise the damage the fruit from 4000 hectares of Chinese SunGold might do has been rejected by Kiwifruit New Zealand and Zespri will need to rework the proposal . Protecting New Zealand’s IP is also going to be an important requirement as we move forwards.
In the International section this week we have a very solid example of protectionism- Czech lawmakers have passed regulation requiring larger shops to stock 55% of their range with Czech produced food rising to 73% by 2028. This is not designed to be a stop gap measure but to improve food security!!
This week there is an collection of articles which deal with the efforts being made by Australia and Chile to deal with the image of their cherries in China. Two articles each report on the comments made by each country which are now being reported in the Chinese media. Interesting to see the approach being used.
On the good news front there is an article on a potential end to the containers shortages ( in China at least)
1. Agency news
1.1. FYI changes
MPI has published updated information on MPI’s system for being able to accommodate China requirements for registration of fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable packing houses and processing facilities, and includes links to those already listed by MPI.
The FYI also provides access to the register that details on how to register and the implementation of those registrations ( details for new facilities will be sent to China quarterly) .   China: Fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables  [PDF, 147 KB]
1.2. Recall of salads to manage listeria risk
South Island Fresh Foods is recalling specific ready-to-eat salads nationwide following routine testing which found the presence of listeria in some products. Information about specific brands, product names, batches, dates and names of stores selling the product is available on the website.
1.3. Customs Digital trade innovation
Customs has released a podcast from TradeWindow, featuring Richard Bargh, Customs’ Group Manager Revenue and Assurance,. Richard shared his view on how digitisation has been accelerated by COVID-19, and how Customs is exploring ways in which a Trade Single Window (TSW) can benefit trading relationships between countries that have them set up. You can listen to the podcast through Spotify or Youtube .
This is a 27 minute video provides an insight to work being done to assist exports and imports. Richard identifies that trade single window provides a hub for all Agencies involved in trade that crosses our border . On an international basis he would score our system 8 out of 10 and goes on to talk about enhancements planned for the next five years. Paperless export and a facility for exporters, that deal with regulatory agencies, to only enter information once for each consignment. Richard comments on moves to improve reciprocal trade with Australia and work towards a secure trade lane between the two countries. Likewise, with Singapore, which has a similar TSW, the aim is for full interoperability between the two systems to further reduce paperwork
2. New Zealand News
2.1. Three new diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta last week announced three diplomatic appointments:
· Alana Hudson as Ambassador to Poland
· John Riley as Consul-General to Hong Kong
Commentary
2.2. Farm emission cuts do-able, says Climate Commission
Existing technologies are enough for New Zealand farmers to meet targets for lower methane emissions from agriculture by 2050, the Climate Change Commission says in its first draft carbon budgets, published on Sunday 31st Jan .
However the commission’s path to lower emissions suggests there would be perhaps 15 percent fewer sheep and beef animals by 2030, compared to 2018 levels, that as much as 1.4 million hectares of less productive, erosion-prone land could be replanted in exotic and native forest, and that about 2,000 hectares of pastoral farmland would convert to horticulture annually by 2030. Full article available here
2.3. What the China-NZ free trade agreement upgrade means
An article looking at a high level about the contents of the recent FTA upgrade with China. Please find a summary of the areas that mention horticulture
For exporters of fresh produce, perhaps the best news from the signing of an upgraded free trade agreement with China is as simple as this: a guarantee that perishable goods will be processed through Customs procedures within six hours.
It concludes that recent actions by China indicate “China needs us. “We can still do business with China even if from time to time we annoy them by sticking up for our values and aspects of how China behaves are distressing and disturbing, which they are.” Full article available here
2.4. Pic’s Peanut Butter to trial growing peanuts in Northland
Pic's Peanut Butter has kicked off a project to look at the feasibility of growing peanuts commercially in Northland, with backing from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).The project will trial growing peanuts in 3 locations – Ruawai on a kumara farm, Poutu Peninsular near Dargaville, and on Mori land in the Kai Iwi Lakes district.
The trial peanuts were planted in late October and are expected to be ready for harvest within 16 to 20 weeks. Spanish Hi Oleic peanuts, which have smaller kernels and reddish-brown skins, have been identified as the most appropriate cultivar for Northland conditions. "This type of peanut is most widely used in confectionary and snacks, as well as peanut butter production," says Mr Graham. "Their high oil content makes them ideal for crushing." Full article available here
2.5. Hort sector denied support!
MPI has turned down a request from the horticulture sector to declare the recent hail and rainstorms, that decimated many orchards around the country and cost growers millions of dollars in lost income, as an ‘adverse event’. HortNZ chairman Barry O’Neil told Rural News that his organisation had written to Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor asking him to declare the storms an ‘adverse event’. However, HortNZ was told by MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) that the classification of a medium scale adverse event is not required. Conversations are continuing. Full article available here
2.6. Science system revamp urged
HortNZ chair Barry O’Neil is among many who are highly critical of the present so called ‘competitive science funding model’. There's an urgent need for a greater focus on science in the food and fibre sector. He notes the primary sector has developed from the science that was done in the last century, which has enabled our livestock sector – and latterly the horticultural sector – to grow and thrive. But he’s concerned that, in recent times, there has been a loss of focus on using science to support the challenges that lie ahead for the sector.
O’Neil hopes that in 2021 there will be a greater focus on those breeding programmes that are important when it comes to climate change .O’Neil points to the recent initiative by Zespri and Plant and Food Research to set up a special joint venture entity to focus on speeding up the kiwifruit plant breeding programme. He says Zespri has the critical mass to do this, but that smaller groups don’t have this and rely on largely government-funded science supported in part by industry.
He says NZ definitely needs that connection with science supporting economic development.
Rural News understands that many social science projects are currently being supported, but with little emphasis on practical science that could really drive economic growth. In addition “Our scientists are spending half their bloody time developing funding bids of which about 90% don’t get supported. What a waste of time for our clever scientist being stuck in a conundrum like this where they have to spend half their valuable time putting in science proposals that often go nowhere,” O’Neil says.  Full article available here
2.7. How bright will horticulture's star shine in 2021?
HortNZ chair Barry O'Neil believes a shortage of both labour and water storage present challenges for the horticulture sector going forward. HortNZ chair Barry O’Neil says the sector has got all the elements of success going for it – such as land, climate, great soils and a world that wants to consume NZ horticultural products. But he concedes that the sector still has to get through at least the next couple of years, which he says will be characterised by ongoing disruption to supply chains caused by Covid.
In terms of labour and water storage he believes that more effort needs to be put into working with Maori in respect of horticulture and water storage. He cites the Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust scheme in Northland as an example that could be replicated around the country. The water from this storage facility is used for horticulture and is working well and is a win-win. In regards to labour O’Neil says there is a need for automation to do some of the more physical manual jobs because of the lack of RSE workers and cooperation between sectors to arrange more year round employment
While a recent MPI report notes that prices for horticultural exports in 2021 will top the $2 billion mark, there is no guarantee that growers will see extra dollars in their pockets. O'Neil points to rising labour costs and potentially increased freight costs may dampen profits. "The only light at the end of the tunnel is whether the prices for NZ quality, tasty, safe, nutritious product will go up as well," he told Hort News. "We saw that this past year in a number of our markets Full article available here
2.8. Fruit growers reassure customers after packaging scare in China
The industry body for stone-fruit growers in New Zealand is reassuring international customers of our Covid-free status, after the virus was reportedly found on fruit packaging in China. Summer Fruit chief executive Richard Palmer said the Ministry for Primary Industries had not been advised by Chinese authorities that this detection is in any way connected with New Zealand fruit.
He also said the summerfruit industry has rigorous food safety procedures in place, including the monitoring of staff health for Covid-19. Full article available here
2.9. Crunch time for struggling Otago orchards
Some Central Otago orchards say this season's crop is a write off, while others are struggling to find enough workers. One orchardist calculates he has lost up to 40 percent of his cherries crop this season The orchardist interviewed needed about eight more workers, but said the RSE exemption was no help to him. He can't afford to spend $8000 a head to bring RSE workers in. It's just too much for him."
The availability of labour for apple harvesting in Central Otago will be badly impacted as student leave to go back to study. While many growers are stoically counting their losses, searching for staff or busy picking, they are hopeful for a more fruitful season in 2022. Full article available here
2.10. Zespri attempt to buy counterfeit Chinese kiwifruit denied by regulator
Zespri's aim to buy counterfeit Chinese golden kiwifruit and stem illegal growing practices in the country has been refused by the government-appointed regulator in New Zealand.  The kiwifruit marketer signed the beginning of a commercial arrangement with a Chinese state-owned firm late in 2020, in the hope of commercialising some of an estimated 4,000 ha of unlicensed SunGold kiwifruit being grown in China on vines that were stolen from the company.
The three-year trial has been touted as a “win-win” for both Zespri and Chinese growers, and necessary to encourage the Chinese Government to enforce Zespri’s rights over the SunGold product.
Zespri, which had already signed a memorandum of intent with Sichuan State-owned Assets Operation and Investment Management, could have taken the proposal and KNZ’s assessment to the industry’s 2,792 growers to vote on whether it should go-ahead. However, the company has withdrawn its proposal to Kiwifruit NZ (KNZ) in order to rework it, before the regulator's final decision could be made public.
A summary of the judgement, published by KNZ on Monday, said the trial to buy and brand 1.95m trays of unlicensed SunGold kiwifruit from Chinese growers was “more than a low risk” – and therefore did not meet a regulatory threshold – in three ways. KNZ chief executive Geoff Morgan said, among independent advice received, KNZ considered six risks to growers, including grower returns, brand reputation, market access through the NZ-China relationship, and orchard practice and intellectual property.
“New Zealand is definitely the world leader in Kiwifruit orchard practices... So to transfer intellectual property around that to a country that has a huge scale and an ability to produce a very large volume of fruit, far in excess of anything New Zealand produces, is definitely a concern.”
Carol Ward, Zespri's chief grower, industry and sustainability officer, explained the company needed to “bring about some level of control” to the unauthorised planting of SunGold, and would adjust the proposed commercial arrangement to again seek sign-off from KNZ and growers. She said there were a “broad array of risks”, including the need to protect the quality of the kiwifruit carrying Zespri’s brand, to protect intellectual property in China, and to maintain positive relationships, including with the Chinese government. Full article available here
2.11. Zespri selects SAP Cloud Solutions in multi-year deal
SAP SE last week announced that Zespri International will become one of the first SAP customers globally to utilise the SAP S/4HANA private cloud edition. The new solution forms a key part of the recently announced ‘RISE with SAP’ offer that delivers business transformation as a service. This will help Zespri standardise and automate processes across the organisation, creating efficiencies and providing a platform for growth and innovation to support the fast-growing company.
The technology will underpin Zespri’s ambitious four-year Horizon transformation programme to digitise its operations, become more efficient, and increase sales. It will transform the way Zespri operates, replacing legacy systems and processes that were designed 20 years ago, before the significant growth we’ve experienced in recent years. Full article available here
2.12. Boysenberries NZ celebrates inaugural cuisine award winners
Boysenberries New Zealand’s inaugural cuisine awards has celebrated the culinary use of the flavoursome fruit, most of which is grown in the Nelson-Tasman region. 50 per cent of the world’s boysenberries are grown in New Zealand – 90 per cent of which were produced in the Nelson-Tasman region. The article provides a good overview of the Boysenberry Industry and the results of the inaugural awards.
Boysenberries were delicate, perishable and did not travel well so most of the fruit was frozen, pureed or turned into concentrate or powder for use in jam, yoghurt bases, icecream products, smoothies and other health drinks. Boysenberries New Zealand supplies the fruit to about 55 customers in 11 different countries. Full article available here
Bits and pieces
2.13. Autogrow unveils WayBeyond
New Zealand-headquartered company launches new AI farming entity Autogrow has announced a corporate reorganisation, which will see the company split into two separate entities with the launch of digital farming venture WayBeyond.
WayBeyond will be led by Autogrow chief executive and founder Darryn Keiller and will focus on the global expansion of digital farm solutions for large scale, multi-site farms to optimise farming productivity.
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Autogrow has a portfolio of existing automation products namely the Intelli Range and the MultiGrow while WayBeyond brings the results of three years of research and development with solutions launched in 2020 - FarmRoad (a crop management platform), and the Folium wireless smart sensor network. The first service launched utilising the FarmRoad platform was an artificial intelibence (AI)-based yield prediction service. Full article available here
Kylie Horomia has been appointed into a new role as Head of Industry Transformation at WayBeyond . Ms. Horomia holds a Masters in International Communications, 20 years in communications and almost 10 years in the Horticulture industry, most notably with T&G Global and recently with Autogrow where she was Head of Brand & Communications. Full article available here
3. International news
3.1. GAIN reports
Gain reports are from the “Global Agricultural Information Network” and are produced by the USDA. They are designed to provide timely information on the economy, products and issues in foreign countries that are likely to have an impact on United States agricultural production and trade. The information in them is written for USA exporters but the majority is equally relevant to New Zealand. With regard to import regulations for a particular market New Zealand exporters should first check the countries ICPR on MPI’s web site. These are collated specifically for New Zealand product. However the Gain reports often provide additional information that is useful e.g. on grading and labelling, economic profiles. To see the full report click on the link in each notification This week see:
d) Hong Kong Research Study on Food Preferences of Mature Consumers
h) Thailand's Food Trends in 2021 | Promotion Opportunities, Market Development Reports
Regulatory
3.2. Czech bill boosting domestic food in supermarkets might conflict with EU regulations
Last week, Czech lawmakers approved legislation requiring shops to sell mainly domestically made food that would benefit Czech producers. This action will potentially put the country on a collision course with the European Commission over EU single market rules. The measure stipulates that shops larger than 400 m2 must as of next year offer at least 55% of items that can be locally produced like fruit, vegetables, milk or meat. The proportion would rise gradually to 73% in 2028. Full article available here
Business/ Industry
3.3. Investors sue Bayer over purchase Monsanto
Shareholders in Germany are suing Bayer in a court in Cologne, claiming they should have been warned of the risk of lawsuits when the company acquired Roundup with its $63 billion purchase of St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. in 2018. Roundup lawsuits have resulted in a drop in Bayer stock value and a settlement offer of $11 billion. The shares are down about 45% since Bayer lost the first Roundup court case in August 2018, Read the complete article here.
3.4. Canada's agri-food sector to put sustainability first"
A national sustainability index for the agri-food sector would help demonstrate Canada’s rightful place as a leader of sustainable, safe and responsibly-produced food to a more demanding domestic and global marketplace and be a catalyst to add value sector-wide, declares a report released last week.
The report Benchmarking Canada’s Agri-Food Sustainability Leadership – a Roadmap addresses this gap and outlines a blueprint to create such an index, a Canadian first.
The index intends to link-up with sectoral benchmarking initiatives and Canada’s statistics-gathering capacity. Being science-based and externally validated, the index will also be expected to show areas for improvement and shortcomings. The need for a national and consistent picture of sustainability is pressing, the report emphasizes. Full article available here
Indoor production
3.5. "Bioponics, a viable and sustainable agricultural solution"
Growing organically – a goal that many farms are moving towards or have, at the very least, considered. For soilless farms in the US, the contentious issue of organic hydroponics classification remains at the forefront of the industry, with the recirculation of nutrients back into the soil being one of the main issues at hand. Essentially, at the root level, the growing environment is very different.
Being able to reproduce standardized, sterile, and a nutritionally balanced microbial ecosystems, similar to what happens in soil, requires more thought when working in a soilless farm. One method that has been mentioned is the incorporation of bioponics.
“Bioponics” covers the full range of activities under soilless farming. In other words, crops can be grown either (1) with their roots immersed or exposed to nutrient solutions such as often observed in hydroponics and aeroponics systems, or (2) within a system that utilizes fish waste as the nutrient, such as aquaponics. What differentiates it is that it takes into consideration the sufficient level of biological activity needed to grow crops by only using chemical-free and organic nutrients. Through bioponics, farms are able to create a symbiotic relationship between themselves, their crops, as well as microorganisms. The rest of the article provides a high level comparison of Bioponics vs Hydroponics vs Aquaponics Full article available here
3.6. France's Nutri-score label expands
The Nutri-score, is a nutritional labelling system created by Public Health France in 2017 to inform consumers about the nutritional quality of products. Currently displayed on a voluntary basis on packaged products, the Nutri-score will soon be extended to collective and commercial catering, as well as to raw products, in particular fruit and vegetables.
According to the survey, more than nine in ten French people (94 per cent) are in favour of the presence of the logo on packaging and a similar proportion (89 per cent) think it should be mandatory on all products. Outside France, the Nutri-score has also been adopted by Switzerland, Belgium and Germany, and is recommended in Spain, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Full article available here
China
3.7. Inner packaging of imported cherries said have tested COVID-19 positive
The inner packaging of a batch of imported cherries was found to be COVID-19 positive in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu Province. It is not yet clear what the source country is, but all unsold cherries from the same batch have been collected and are ready for destruction, local authorities told the Global Times on Friday.  The cherries are said to have been produced on December 18, 2020, and have been sold to customers in three districts in Wuxi, the local COVID-19 prevention group told the Global Times. 
A total of 199 samples from the related environment, objects and personnel have been tested, all returning negative results, according to a statement released by the COVID-19 prevention team in Liangxi, Wuxi on Friday.  The source of the cherries has not been disclosed. Full article available here
3.8. COVID-19 panic to destroy Chinese consumers’ hard-earned ‘cherry freedom’: importer
Merchants of imported cherries say demand has plummeted over mounting consumer worries after samples of imported cherries were found to be COVID-19 positive. One importer estimated that there are at least 6,000 containers of unsold imported cherries in China, which could be a huge loss to the overseas cherry farms and domestic importers if consumers remain wary of the imported fruit.
In relation to the recent news shared on different social networks and media publications in China, the Embassy of Chile in China said it has, to this date, not received any official communication from the General Administration of Customs of China or any other official Chinese authority certifying that the finding referred to the news is a product imported from Chile.  According to the Embassy, around 130 million kilos of cherries have been exported from Chile to more than 400 million consumers in China during this season.
Imported cherry prices has sunk this year 20 percent resulting from an oversupply as exporters eye a rebound in Chinese consumption amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an earlier report from the Global Times.  The sudden price drop had made many consumers excited that they were finally able to reach "Cherry freedom" - a buzz word about the ability to purchase pricey imported cherries without a second thought. However, the newly found presence of the virus on the surface of the fruit has presented a dilemma to many consumers. Full article available here
3.9. Chile acts swiftly to avert cherry crisis
The Chilean fruit sector has moved to quell the crisis threatening to derail the cherry export campaign following unsubstantiated reports on social media that Covid-19 had been detected on packs of cherries imported into Shanghai. Chinese retail sales fell 63 per cent in the last week after news of the discovery spread widely on social media, while sales in wholesale markets were 4 per cent lower than expected for this stage in the season.
Reports suggest that sales are beginning to pick up again after official Chinese state media channel CCTV issued a statement denying that there had been any confirmed cases of Covid-19 being found on cherry packaging. In a meeting between the Chilean government and private sector on Monday, it was agreed that efforts to communicate with the Chinese authorities would be intensified in order to address the crisis, and that the cherry marketing campaign would be stepped up in order to restore confidence in the quality and safety of Chilean cherries. The associations said they would be issuing daily statement to keep the media informed of any further updates. Full article available here
The full statement sent from Chile to China is provided in the following article Full article available here
3.10. Is It True That Australian Cherries Are Low Quality?
Recently, China’s state-run Global Times newspaper quoted a major Chinese fruit distributor as stating that “The flavour and quality of Australian cherries is not the same as before.” The article continued with interviews of various wholesale fruit traders who attempted to explain the decrease in Australian cherry imports.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack ( and acting PM) quickly responded to the Global Times article, stating that he is Australia’s number-one cherry fan. “Red juice, juicy, plump – beautiful. Wherever we produce cherries they’re great,” McCormack said
Tom Eastlake, president of Cherry Growers Australia, was quoted in an NCA NewsWire report as saying that “72 hours from hanging on a tree, it is in the market.” He went on to say that if extreme weather events were to compromise the quality of any fruits, they would not be exported in order to uphold the reputation of Australian goods. Eastlake also pointed out that no complaints had yet been received about Australian cherries from customers in China.
The article looks at the issues and identifies that Australia send comparatively few cherries and only by air freight meaning the price of Australian cherries is higher than those from Chile. It also notes that Cherries from Australia rather than Tasmania need to be fumigated before exports which impacts quality. Full article available here
Freight
3.11. End to container shortage may be in sight
Experts claim the end to the exceptional container equipment shortage -experienced in recent months- could be in sight. Container monitoring specialist Container xChange has mentioned a “positive trend” observed on the organisation’s Container Availability Index (CAx) that it says could make Chinese New Year the turning point.
Although the latest figures for January are still well below 0.5 and thus represent a shortage of available containers, those figures for 20DCs and 40DCs are beginning to resemble the ‘normal’ level of container shortfalls experienced for major Chinese export markets,
Container xChange noted that that ‘for months, containers were extremely scarce across China, and prices have skyrocketed to record highs – mainly as a consequence of unexpected demand for containerised goods created in the wake of global social lockdowns’. With Chinese container factories now working at full production, and due to the aggressive repositioning of empties back to China by the shipping lines, Chinese New Year stands to become the turning point for equipment shortages.
3.12. Sweden publishes foodborne illness data for 2008-2018
A new study has revealed that a high number of Campylobacter infections and more cases of Salmonella infection linked to produce have been identified in Sweden during a 10-year period. The report compiles reported foodborne illness from 2008 to 2018. There were more than 4,000 events of suspected or confirmed disease, with 30,964 illnesses.
Foodsafetynews.com  claims that in 80 percent of reports, the disease-causing agent was unknown. Bacteria or toxins were identified in 13 percent of the reports, while viruses were implicated in 7 percent of them. Full article available here
3.13. Fyffes launches new website
During 2020 Fyffes worked on the development of a new website, which is now live . The new website gives support to the claims of Fyffes efforts to provide sustainably and ethically produced bananas, pineapples, melons and exotic range, on their so-called ‘farm to table’ journey.
”Fyffes want to make it easier to access information about our sustainability efforts, our certifications, quality controls and standards. Full article available here
Floral news
3.14. Study on environmental health and willingness to compost fresh cut floral waste
The main purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of environmental health of retail flower shop owners and their willingness to recycle fresh cut floral waste produced at retail flower shops for use as compost and to determine if there is a statistical correlation between environmental awareness and willingness to compost fresh cut flower waste. Of the 300 retail florists who took part in the survey, a majority, 190 (63.33%), were ranked as having “high concern” for environmental health. A majority of florists 247 (82.33%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” to collaborate with Master Gardener programs and other organizations if it meant they could recycle their floral waste through composting.
3.15. Royal FloraHolland's international floriculture market update
Royal Flora holland provides regular reports detail about conditions in key flower markets / producing countries. This includes comment on the lockdown status of the country and whether businesses are open of not , Countries included in the report are the Netherlands, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Israel. For the complete report see here
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