On Wednesday, March 1, the Dahlia Day of the KAVB Dahlia Product Group took place. The organizers had put together an inspiring program that attracted people from all parts of the chain. After years without an annual meeting, it was well-attended and was hosted by Rob Baan of Koppert Cress.
Attendees were introduced to the crème de la crème of the dahlia. The beautiful flowers have a huge fan base, and on Instagram and other social media, there are as many as 1.5 million followers worldwide. During the meeting, the huge difference between growing Dahlia and (providing the) experience of Dahlia became apparent. Where one producer has to struggle at a price increase of 2 cents, those who let Dahlias be experienced can charge much more without a ripple in sales.
Dahlia cultivation is a crop like that of many bulbous and tuberous plants. There is a lot of consumer ignorance about the trade, but the Keukenhof does allow consumers to greatly develop the feeling around bulbs and tubers. By extending this further through social media, the company Fam Flowerfarm has managed to make the Keukenhof happen year-round. Social media in the form of TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter gives a very large reach, provided you make it nice and short, and attractive. Manage this dimension alongside your regular business, and you get a different revenue model.
At Koppert Cress, they are also heavily engaged with the end customer. "With us, it is not the consumer but the chef in the kitchen. We like that approach because we do business-to-business business. Chefs know very well, thanks to their tours, that greenhouse farming is fully engaged in sustainability, food safety, taste, and beautiful things. Similarly, the flower sector should embrace that true florist and arranger more intimately," says Rob Baan.
But Fam Flower Farm's approach has a nice and special side effect. Thanks to the ladies of Fam Flower Farm, consumers have gained more insight into our profession than they get when they load a bunch of flowers at the neighborhood supermarket. Therefore, the industry should further support such initiatives.
The plenary part of the day was dominated by the annual meeting of the Dahlia product group, where product group chairman Arnold van der Linden gave a fine account of what the product group has been doing in recent years. He explicitly highlighted the many initiatives in which the board has played a role. Policy officer for inspection policy & quality, Annette Peeters, talked about recent developments in the quality of dahlias, area statistics, and the BKD's course.
KAVB general chairman Jaap Bond took the attendees through sustainability in the bulb sector and policy nationally and from the EU.
Source: KAVB