EU deskucration sets a thorn in Mother's Day bouquets – while the spring flowers rise in price in florists.
Most cut flowers come from the Netherlands, where growers are hit by tough new border controls.
Paperwork after the Brexit and inspections slow down perishable truck and increase the costs of the growers.
This is the first mother Sunday, because strict border controls were introduced in April and farmers in the Netherlands are increasingly giving up the provision of the UK.
Two years of bad harvests, with rain and frost that hinders bulb growth, have worsened a shortage of tulips, lilies, crocuses and hyacinths.
The wholesale prices of tulips are approximately 50 percent higher than in 2024, forcing florists to pass on the extra costs to customers.
Nikki Meader, chairman of the British Florist Association, said that a typical bouquet has risen from £ 50 to £ 65.
She said that florists “the price as much as we could have kept,” but added: “Wholesale prices have risen just the same that we have to pass them on, I'm afraid.”
EU desk crisation sets a thorn in Mother's Day bouquets – while the spring flowers rise in price in florists (stock image)
The wholesale prices of tulips are approximately 50 percent higher than in 2024, whereby florists are forced to pass on the extra costs to customers (stock image)
Most cut flowers come from the Netherlands, where growers are hit by tough new border controls. Shown: Lorries Queue to go through border and security controls after arriving in the port of Dover in 2019
She said that trucks from the Netherlands deliver to her West Malling Flowers store at midnight after she was held on the British border until ten hours. Mrs. Meader said the association is lobbying the government to cut the 'crazy' bureaucracy.
The founder of Bouquet Delivery Service Flowerbx also said that florists are 'important challenges' to get Dutch varieties.
“It hurts everyone,” said Whitney Bromberg Hawkings. “Many florists will have to pass on higher prices to their customers or compromise about quantity or quality.”
The UK is the second largest market for Dutch flowers and plants, worth around £ 800 million a year.
But the Horticultural Trades Association warns the government that insufficient capacity at ports for inspections forces some Dutch suppliers from the British market.
President Will Armitage said: “The UK is a great customer for the Dutch, but it has unintentionally become a difficult customer.”
