Challenging the tulip

摘要

Growers in developing countries are threatening Hollands hegemony in the cut flower trade.As the Netherlands celebrates the 400th anniversary of its tulip industry, the powerful Dutch flower trade is under pressure from a wave of growers in the developing countries. The Dutch still reign, of course. Every day 10 000 trucks carrying up to 20 million freshly cut flowers lumber in and out of the cavernous halls of the Aatsmeer Flower Auction, a mini-city the size of 110 football fields on the outskirts of Amsterdam. The digitalized clocks, which dominate its five auction rooms and flash information about species, quality and origin to the bidders below, are a major reason behind the Netherlands' ascendancy in an industry conservatively estimated to be worth DFL60 billion (US 35.1 billion dollar) per year. With the value of a rose measurable in days, it takes Just seven seconds to sell a lot numbering in the thousands.