Category: Featured Past Articles

Floriculture sector is generating higher income and employment opportunities, promoting domestic market and exports. The traditional flower crops grown for loose flowers under open field conditions have different nutrient requirements compared to cut flower crops like roses which are grown under protected conditions. One of the factors affecting the productivity of most of the floricultural crops is due to improper use of nutrients. To improve the productivity, adequate amount of fertilisers in balanced proportion should be used.

Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) including use of mulches, organic manures and bio-fertilisers along with appropriate dosage of fertilisers is cost effective method to achieve more yield and better quality crop, besides, improving the soil fertility.

loriculture has emerged as a viable diversification option in the agri-business. It is a rapidly expanding dynamic industry recording a growth rate of more than 15 per cent per annum in the last two decades. Rapid urbanization, increased income levels and changes in social values resulted in increase of export market for cut flowers. Improvement in the general level of well being and increased affluence particularly among the middle class is also another reason for increase in the volume of local flower market.

The post-harvest behaviour of flowers is an outcome of the physiological processes, occurring in leaves, stem, flower bud, leafless peduncle or scape connecting bud to the stem. Some of these processes may act independently to affect the senescence and vase life of cut flowers but most of them are inter-related. The nature and extent of postharvest damage is typical for each crop or cultivar. The post harvest losses become important especially when dealing with the export of fresh flowers to distant and foreign market. Therefore, patient, soft and expert handling of flowers is of utmost importance after harvest.

Changing market conditions

• Direct trade channels, bypassing the Dutch auction system, are on the rise
• Virtualisation of the trade
• Increased competition with Latin America in upcoming direct markets (Russia, Japan)
  

Avocado prices are slowly dropping on the European market. In general, prices are expected to fall sharply in July and August compared to previous months. This is due to the fact that some countries continue to buy smaller volumes than usual because the coronavirus is still having a huge impact. For example, part of the food service in the US is not yet back to its old level. Peru, the world’s largest producer, is therefore selling more volumes on the European market. Other production countries and regions are Mexico, Colombia, California, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Peru has a strong presence in both China and India. South African companies are currently also sourcing Peruvian avocados to supplement their own volumes, as they’ve had smaller home-grown volumes than expected. In China, imports are still on the rise; Colombia is perceived as a nice addition to fill the gap between the Chilean and Peruvian seasons. People are also increasingly working on their own production.

Belgium: Low prices for the Hass; Greenskins at their usual price
There is currently a great supply of Hass avocados, as different countries are in production, says a Belgian trader. The demand is at a fairly normal level. As a result, prices for the Hass are quite low and don’t differ much from those of the greenskins. The greenskins are currently imported from Peru and South Africa and the supply is normal.