The Live Flowers and Plants sector ends 2021 with exports of more than 550 million euros

The Spanish export of flowers and plants in 2021 will increase more than 24% compared to the previous year, with a value of more than 550 million euros, according to FEPEX estimates. In 2022, the sector faces the increase in production costs, the application of the Food Chain Law, or the inclusion of the sector in the sectoral interventions of the new CAP, among the main challenges.

 

Until October 2021, the Spanish export of flowers and live plants has grown by 28% compared to the same months of 2020, totaling 489.6 million euros, according to data from the Customs and Excise Department. This, together with an estimate of exports for November and December, suggests that year-on-year growth will be 24% and will exceed 550 million euros, according to FEPEX. This rise has been driven by the growing interest in decorating the home with plants , a custom that is already common in Europe and that has now been reinforced by the pandemic, which has led to spending more time at home, a trend that is also beginning to be observed. in the national market.

 

In 2022, the regulatory development of the CAP will conclude, after the presentation of the Strategic Plan by the MAPA to the European Commission, considering FEPEX essential that the national model includes the flower and plant sector in sectoral interventions from 2023 . This would allow producers and marketers to achieve a greater sectoral organization through producer organizations and to undertake improvement actions on farms, among other aspects, through operational programs and funds. Initially, Agriculture has supported this inclusion, which has also had the express support of the Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Murcia, Andalusia and the Canary Islands, which represent the vast majority of production.

 

Regarding the inclusion of the flower and plant sector in the Food Chain Law, the difficulties posed by its application in practice are faced with concern, especially in relation to the regulation of contracts between buyers and sellers, taking into account the diversity of companies and production and marketing structures that exist in this sector, as well as the obligation to incorporate the effective cost of production into contracts and for the price agreed between the primary producer and his first buyer to cover said cost.

 

The improvement of consumption in the national market is another of the pending challenges of the sector, which in 2021 has launched the promotion program "Europe Blooms" approved by the Commission, within the framework of the extraordinary call for sectors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic that began in March, with promotional actions in Spain and Germany.

 

The "Europe Florece" promotion program, which incorporates all the flower and plant associations of FEPEX, bringing together more than 800 production and marketing companies in the sector, has a global budget of 500,000 euros, is 85% financed by the European Commission and the remaining 15% by the associations integrated in the Federation, with voluntary contributions, having as main objectives, informing consumers of the benefits of having flowers and plants all year round in their homes, positioning the flowers and plants ornamentals as staple products in garden centers and perishable product shelves in the distribution chains and promote the need to create new green areas among the City Council and official bodies with responsibilities for the planning and management of the territory.