Suggestions for the future of Plantion

Which suggestions did you share with the management team and the board? Jorg: “On the grower side, we have quite a few concerns. Companies are quitting due to lack of succession and high energy costs. That translates into a risk for the supply and therefore also for Plantion’s revenue. A potential solution could be for Plantion to support suppliers by offering packages composed of products from several growers as mix carts to buyers. This could be interesting for all parties. A great deal of goods have to go from grower to Plantion and then Plantion has to ensure that these goods are offered to customers in a finely-tuned and customer-oriented way. Taking work out of already busy hands is key here.”

Do you also see challenges on the buyer side? “Florists are also struggling with staff shortages; it is virtually impossible to find skilled floral staff. We have suggested that Plantion offer low-threshold courses to help remedy this lack. We believe that consumers will continue to buy; a nice bouquet of flowers or a lovely plant will never become obsolete. And consumers see the difference in quality between their local florist and a supermarket. The demand for a sustainable product will increase further. The main concern is: how much can you charge for a flower? Will florists be able to earn enough to sustain a living?”

How is the Raad van de Toekomst doing? “We recently altered its structure; it now only includes young growers and several Plantion employees. This marked a kind of relaunch. The great thing is that we all share the Plantion cap. We speak the same language; our individual interests are secondary.”

In April, the Raad van de Toekomst paid a visit to FromFarmers cooperative in Lochem. In the morning, the members discussed Plantion’s new multiannual plan. After lunch, FromFarmers’ youth council joined in and experiences were exchanged. The afternoon ended with a tour of the animal feed factory.