The global flower market is set to boom

So why aren’t local growers celebrating?

Sonia Bitmead with gerberas grown in a greenhouse on her farm at Karalee. Photo: LYLE RADFORD

by JOE HINCHLIFFE

The global trade in flowers is forecast to rise in value by tens of billions of dollars by the end of the decade.

Which is news to Karalee commercial rose and gerbera grower Sonia Bitmead – though not news she has reason to celebrate.

Dubai-based Future Market Insights released an analysis of the global floriculture market late last month, predicting a surge in valuation in that industry from US$ 49.8 billion to more than US$ 80B by 2029.

But Mrs Bitmead said that while the fortunes of the global flower trade was intrinsically linked to those of Australian growers, the ties had not proved positive.

In fact, she said a development in that global trade which started about 15 years ago had almost “destroyed the Australian flower industry”.

That was when growers abroad started flying in cut flowers to the Australian market.