Date: Friday, July 23, 2010
Categories: Requirements
REACH is the chemical legislation of the EU that came into force on 1st June 2007 through Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006. REACH will establish a new single regime throughout the 27 EU Member States for existing and new substances and requires manufacturers in the EU and EU importers of substances/preparations to register them. The Regulation itself counts almost 900 pages besides the many other documents, guidance papers and opinions that can be found on Internet. Read more »
Date: Thursday, July 8, 2010
Categories: CSR
Fair trade labels on flowers are becoming more common, especially in supermarkets. But why would growers have to put a label on their flowers if they are already fair trade? This article aims to provide some more insight into fair trade certification. Read more »
Following the success of the previous training activities and upon request of the Ethiopian flower sector, CBI organised four Master Classes as a key activity of CBI’s 2009 floricultural training programme in Ethiopia. The programme was developed in close cooperation with EHPEA and focused on different aspects of flower export marketing.
In the course of the Master Class training series, participants wrote a concise export marketing plan. The structure of the export marketing plan was used as the framework for the special topics covered in the training programme: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), post-harvest and logistical requirements, market research in the flower business, getting the best price on the auction, and internal and external communication and client orientation. Read more »
Date: Friday, April 2, 2010
Categories: Market research, Requirements
In The Netherlands, growing numbers of commercial companies are choosing remote buying to purchase their products on the auction. As with image auctioning, where the product is not physically present at the auction clocks, with remote buying (KOA), auction buyers need not be sitting in the stands.
Often, the wholesale companies have established a special dealing room on their company premises for this purpose. In the comfort of their own offices, anywhere in the world, they can buy online on all the FloraHolland auction clocks. Growers, who supply the products, can see in real-time on the Internet how the buying process is going. Read more »
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Categories: Marketing, Requirements
Almost 20,000 different plants and flowers are traded by name at the Dutch flower auctions, each identified with their own product code. On average, 20,000 new products enter the market each year. The codes are used in every transaction concluded at the auction. Financial and logistical handling by the auctions is based on the product code system.
The product codes are initially used by the parties involved in trading through the auctions: growers, purchasing traders and the auctions themselves. Product codes can also be used to identify or communicate about a product throughout the chain, from processor to retailer. The current product code database for cut flowers, house plants and garden plants can be found on the FlorEcom site.
Would you like to receive assistance in acquiring a product code? ProVerde has experience in all aspects of introducing new floricultural products on the European market: registration, market introduction, promotion. Read more »
Date: Sunday, February 21, 2010
Categories: CSR, Fruit & vegetables, Marketing, Requirements
The European Commission has officially announced the winner of the EU organic logo competition. Over the past two months, some 130,000 people have voted online to choose the new organic symbol from three finalists. The winning design is by Dusan Milenkovic, a student from Germany, who gained 63 % of the overall vote for his “Euro-leaf” logo. From July 1, 2010, the organic logo of the EU will be obligatory on all pre-packaged organic products that have been produced in any of the EU Member States and meet the necessary standards. It will be optional for imported products. Other private, regional or national logos will be allowed to appear alongside the EU label. The organic farming regulation will be amended in the coming weeks to introduce the new logo into one of the annexes. Read more »
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Categories: News, Requirements
FloraHolland is budgeting a small decrease in turnover of 1.5 per cent for 2010. “By being thrifty we can ensure that the auction does not become more expensive while modernizing sufficiently at the same time,” said Financial Director Erik Leeuwaarden at the recently held general meeting. The rates for members will remain largely the same in 2010.The basic commission will be 1.4 per cent.
Sales via FloraHolland Connect will be 0.1 per cent cheaper for members. The clock commission will stay at 2.3 per cent. The auction is working towards further harmonization of the various rates. Lot charge will be decreased at Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg. Read more »
Date: Friday, November 13, 2009
Categories: Market research, Requirements
The EU market is the largest consumer and importer of timber and timber products in the world. On a country level, however, a different picture exists: global imports are led by the USA; Japan is also a major importer, but its role in the global timber trade is declining; China, on the other hand, becomes an important player in the timber market. The latter mainly imports raw materials and exports finished timber products. In doing so, China takes the lead in the global furniture trade, hereby strongly affecting the market share of traditional low-cost furniture exporters, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
The EU construction sector is the most important market sector for timber and timber products and uses up to 70% of all timber consumed in the EU, followed by the further-processing industry (most notably the furniture industry). The DIY market segment is of less importance, although its market share in sales of timber and timber products is steadily increasing. Read more »
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Categories: CSR, Kenya, News
On Monday 12 October, the Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn introduced mixed long roses under their AH Pure & Honest brand (AH Puur & Eerlijk). During a short ceremony in Zaandam, Mrs. R.C. Rono, Ambassador of Kenya, presented the first bunch to Mr. Albert Voogd, Director of Commerce of Albert Heijn. During the next two weeks, all Albert Heijn supermarkets will focus on the Pure & Honest theme. This new brand of Albert Heijn makes it easy for customers to choose responsible and sustainable products. Read more »
Date: Monday, October 12, 2009
Categories: Requirements, Young Plant Material
The European Union has laid down specific minimum quality requirements that propagating material traded within the EU has to comply with. Read more »