Cut flower production in Poland blossoms
by Maciej Hempel
Originally published in: Australian Horticulture, May 1989, pp. 36, 38-39
Poland has been called the Holland of eastern Europe but is this the truth or an exaggeration?To realise that it is true, one only has to travel through Poland in the spring time, in the last week of February and in the first two weeks of March. The majority of floricultural producers programme their production for this period of the year.
The reason for this concentration of production is the custom of celebrating the saints days, a custom common in Slavic societies. In the late February and early March there are plenty of such days. It's also the time for Women's Day, when each woman must be given a cut flower. The flower trade flourishes not only during this period but also in other seasons. Flowers are in demand during Mother's Day, All Saints Day, Christmas, Easter, the days when a school year finishes and the list goes on.
Going to a party, the average Pole bears in one hand a bottle of wine and in the other flowers for the hostess. Cut flowers are popular for all these occasions and it is the reason for the present structure of ornamental production (Table 1).
In 1987, pot plants (foliage and flowering) occupied only eight per cent of the total glasshouse area under ornamental crops. The total area of ornamental crops grown under protection in 1988 amounted to about 840 ha (635 ha in 1987) in glasshouses and 650 ha in plastic structures.
As far back as I remember, carnations were always the most popular cut flowers in Poland. Their share in total flower acreage has remained between 40 and 60 percent in the last 20 years. Since 1983-84 the area under gerbera has been increasing substantially from 30-40 ha to 100 ha in 1987.
The total retail value of flowers sold in Poland in 1987 was 125 milliards of zlotychs or $A290 million (Table 2). As seen in this table, the retail prices are on average twice that of wholesale prices. The same difference exists between the costs of production and the wholesale prices. These big profits, both for producers and for retailers are the reason for such dynamic development of Polish floriculture.
Polish floriculturists produce enough to meet demands of internal customers and also export in certain periods of the year. In 1987, Poland exported floricultural goods worth about $A 0.2 million. The main destinations were to Eastern European countries like the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria as well as to Austria, West Germany and Sweden.
Propagation
In such situation, a huge demand for planting material exists. Many nurseries have specialised in the production of quality seedlings, cuttings and in vitro plants. Production in vitro has become very popular in the last eight years. Today over 120 commercial in vitro laboratories operate in Poland. This places Poland second in the world after the USA (over 250 laboratories in 1986). The Netherlands follow in the third place with 70-80 labs in 1988. Most micropropagation products are sold on the internal market but a surplus is exported to many of the above mentioned countries.
Such a flourishing industry requires a lot of specialists. At the present, ornamental horticulture is taught at six universities. In five of them, departments of ornamental horticulture have been established. Besides university education, there are numerous horticultural high schools and a few colleges which supply the basic staff for the industry.
Floricultural research is conducted at five universities which are under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and also in The Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture which was founded by the Ministry of Agriculture. In this Institute over 200 employees (scientific workers and technical staff) are engaged in research on ornamental plants. In comparison to universities, which are engaged mostly in teaching and experimentation, the activities of the Institute are focused on the research of production problems and on extension service. Different courses are conducted all year round and many specialised seminars and conferences are held.
Problems
Polish ornamental production has also its difficulties. The major ones are: lack of domestic production of fungicides, pesticides, herbicides, good, reliable equipment, and poor trade infrastructure (very few wholesalers, auctions, etc.). Most of the chemicals used in plant protection and some equipment are imported from western European countries. However, the local production and quality of materials and equipment have increased in the last few years.
Outlooks
Even with such disadvantages, ornamental production is presently expanding and the outlook for future is optimistic. It is because of recent economic and political changes in Eastern Europe which will assist operations in the introduction of exchangeability of the Polish zloty. It is expected to happen in 1990 and should increase export-import relations and stimulate further development of internal production.
If you are a horticulturist and travelling in this part of the world, stop for a while and meet your Polish colleagues. The employees of The Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Skierniewice near Warsaw will be happy to show you around and introduce you to relevant people and businesses.
Table 1. Glasshouse area under cultivation of ornamental plants in Poland (1987)
Crop Area
(in ha)Percent of total area Carnation 256.2 41.8 Gerbera 117.3 18.5 Roses 65.4 10.3 Other cut flowers 109.2 17.2 Pot plants 51.0 8.0 Stock plants, seedlings 27.0 4.2 Total 635.1 100.0
Table 2. Total value of ornamental plants sold in Poland in 1987
Product Wholesale Retail Zloty(mld) $A(mln) Zloty(mld) $A(mln) Cut flowers 60 140 120 280 Pot plants 2.6 6 5.2 12 Total 62.6 146 125.2 292