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THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • APRIL 2017
• PRIMOSE REVIEW
PRIMROSE
REVIEW 2017
YoungPlants, supply anddemandhas generally been
in reasonablebalance. Both she andRichardBull of
Florensis commentedon the reduced volume of imports
andon the goodquality of UK – grownprimroses. Richard
Bull has seen andwelcomed a trend to larger pots. Yet
overall, asKerstenCatellaput it, growers are still facing a
situationwhere like-for-likeprices are now nohigher than
theywere in2007.
There is notmuch room for things togowrong in
producingprimroses, especially inpacks and small pots.
The gapbetween sellingprice and the combined cost of
plant, compost and container is uncomfortably narrow for
plants that are commonly on the nursery for twentyweeks
ormore. There is a good side to the economics, though –
energy costs that are lowor nil, cash flow at a leanperiod
of the year, and use of protected space that fits in very
well with themoreprofitable springbeddingproduction.
And theprimrose and its close relatives remain inmassive
publicdemand year on year, decade ondecade.
If carmanufacturers ever spare time to think about
commercial primroseproducers – it’smost unlikely that
they do – theymight envy them for having just one,
single over-ridingworry. That is theweather, of course.
And through the autumn andwinter just behindus, for
primrose growers it was not abad scene. It was certainly
better than the all–too-mildprevious season, when
supplieswell outrandemand very early in the year. In
the normal periodof peakdemand fromFebruary 2016
onwards, the supplywas insufficient, but any price
advantage thengainedby growers failed tomake up
for the smaller volume together with the earlier
financial losses.
By contrast, in the season just closing the feedback
youngplant suppliers havebeen receivinghas been very
positive.With rather less product beinggrown than in
theprevious year, according toKerstenCatella of Newey
BransfordWebbsdirectorGeoff Caesarwith shadesmixtureFrostyMorn, near to sale-readiness.
