More and more bouquets are made in Kenya by growers and trading houses. A major reason for this trend is the fast rise of labour costs in western countries. Also, retailers are looking for ready-made bouquets at low prices, and these are mainly simple bouquets for retail. As long as Dutch growers keep distinguishing themselves, they will not be severely impacted by this development.
“Some growers in Kenya create bouquets, but we don't. Next year, however, when we start growing summer flowers, we will also be making bouquets,” said Amit Singh. He is General Manager of PJ Dave, which cultivates roses on 57 hectares 60 km south of Nairobi.
Globally, 50 billion cut flowers are cultivated every year, more than half of which end up in bouquets. Some of these bouquets are created in major trading hubs, such as Miami, Shanghai or the Netherlands, while others are made near major outlets. Yet others are designed by florists on the shop floor. Exporting growers also create bouquets in producing countries like Colombia.