Cut flower market is significantly import dependent

As florists see a boom in turnover from those celebrating St Valentine’s Day, the Irish cut flower market - valued by Bord Bia at €271m - is significantly import dependent.

According to Department of Agriculture estimates, Irish producers supplied just €10m in outdoor flowers and bulbs in 2021.

Research for Bord Bia by IPSOS MRBI indicates that not only are people buying cut flowers on more occasions, they are spending more and the value of the market has grown substantially over the past number of years.

Discounters such as Lidl and Aldi - and indeed other supermarkets - now dominate fresh cut flower sales, accounting for two-thirds of purchases.

Growing market

Cut flowers are a relatively small enterprise in Ireland, dominated by a small number of specialist growers who supply direct to florists and flower markets.

However, as consumers more and more weigh up and potentially have to pay for the carbon cost of their consumption, imported intensive cut flowers may no longer be as appealing to the Irish Valentine or consumer in general.

While various studies point to the environmental impact of the global cut flower industry, a study from Lancaster University in the UK in 2018 estimated that the carbon footprint of imported flowers can be 10 times that of a homegrown bouquet.

Large-scale flower production in the Netherlands and the UK requires a significant energy input, mainly in the form of natural gas to heat greenhouses.

Those grown in hotter southern regions depend on refrigeration and transportation to markets over hundreds and thousands of miles to get to market.

Flower farms

There has been an evolution of small-scale flower farms, servicing local markets and selling direct online in the UK and Ireland in recent years offering an alternative model to the commercial horticulture producer.

While typically small in scale, some businesses deliver strong margins based on a boutique offering that supply retail customers, events and through delivering workshops.

Demand for this type of offering may well grow in key market segments, such as corporate events, where environmental sustainability is a key requirement.

While it’s unlikely to be attractive to most, cut flower and foliage production in Ireland can offer a reasonable return to specialist growers and indeed to those looking to develop a business growing and arranging seasonal blooms.