APIP Agricultural Policy Implementation Project

to all the major importing countries inEurope and since during the winter months
domestic production of cut flowers declines throughout Europe, the market for
non-European production improves substantially. Wholesalers interviewed in
Rungis Market inParis reported that a considerable proportion of the cut flower
shipments arriving from the Netherlands consisted of third-country production
that had been re-exported.
The ITC study of the major markets for floricultural products compiled
import-export data for roses, chrysanthemums, and carnations, the three most
important cut flowers traded. Exhibits 2.2-2.4 show 1985 data by exporting
country inorder of importance and by selected importing countries for all three
flowers. The Netherlands and Colombia are the two most important suppliers for
all three flowers, and have over 90 percent of the chrysanthemum market. Israel
istne third leading supplier of roses and carnations, with 8.4 and 12.7 percent
of the market respectively, but has less than 2 percent of the chrysanthemum
market, for which it ranks a distant third place. The United States is
Colombia's primary customer while the Netherlands is the major supplier to
Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland.
Italy ranks fourth as an exporter of roses and carnations, with Germany as
its most important customer. The Canary Islands are fourth for chrysanthemum
exports, with the United Kingdom as the main customer, and sixth for roses, with
Germany taking two-thirds of their exports. Spain is the fifth most important
exporter of roses and carnations and the sixth in chrysanthemums. Other
exporters include Kenya, the sixth in carnations, Costa Rica, the fifth in
chrysanthemums, and Morocco, the seventh in roses, which is their major crop.
Morocco has captured a niche market, exporting mostly roses to Europe in the
winter months when European production is costly.
Exhibit 2.5 compares three North African flowers exporters, Morocco, Egypt,
and Tunisia, and shows that Morocco isthe most important, increasirig from about
$2.5 million in 1985 to about $6.5 million in 1987, while Egypt and Tunisia are
both well below the $1 million mark. Because of Tunisia's growth potential a
number of producer-exporters tried to enter the market in the 1980s. The trade
statistics on Tunisian cut flowers cxports do not tell very much because the
customs service does not collect detailed records on export shipments by type of
flowers. However, the Plant Protection Service inspects exports of fresh
products at Tunis-Carthage Airport and compiles data on flowers by type of
flower, quantity shipped, and destination. An examination of this database shows
that quantities of flowers and ornamental plants exported increased from 77.5
tons in 1988 and 109.8 tons in 1988 to 570.5 tons and 1.6 million stems in 1989
and 843,000 stems in 1990 . The most important cut flowers exported were ammi
majus, anemones, carnations, chrysanthemums, irises, and statice. Further
11 The 1987 ITC report is presently being updated with 1988 market data by
specific flowers.
12 In 1987 and 1988 data were recorded only in kilos (converted to tons
here), while in 1989 and 1990 data were recorded by kilograms, number of stems
and bouquets. The category "bouquet" was used mostly for jasmine exports.
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