Market for pot plants badly affected

The European market for pot plants has suffered badly from the unseasonable weather in the first six months of the year. Pot plant imports by the European Union in the first half of 2013 declined significantly compared with the same time last year; final figures from Eurostat are not yet available. Dr Marianne Altmann of Co-Concept cites Dutch plant exports as an important indicator. These were down by 3.7 per cent in the first six months, while exports to Germany, the principal export destination, fell by as much as 8.6 per cent. Deliveries from The Netherlands to some central and eastern European markets, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary, also declined.