Flowers are God ’s most beautiful world and the multi - billion dollar industry is make intemperately during the COVID-19 crisis . Shabistan Khan has channel a series of interviews with major Kenyan flower agriculturalist to get an insight into the corona hit floriculture industry . PJ Dave Group is one of the largest growers of rose from Kenya . With 240 Ha field under production and more than 5000 masses work with them . They sell their flowers to the Dutch auction and unmediated securities industry . In the below interview the Director Mr. Gopal Dave and General Manager Mr. Santosh Kulkarni shed some spark on how they are adapting to the new berth and adopting a strategy to continue the business .
Mr. Gopal Dave and Mr. Santosh Kulkarn
Shabistan Khan : What ’s your judgment of the impingement of COVID-19 on the global floriculture?Mr . Gopal Dave : COVID 19 has an impact on the intact mankind saving . I can not cogitate of any business which is not impact by this crisis . Being perishable the floriculture industriousness was hit badly . We have seen millions of auction sale flowers being destroyed in Holland . It was heartbreaking something we have never see in history . The magnitude of deprivation is large . Since March till the tertiary calendar week of April , the situation was super bad with agriculturalist facing many challenge , low sales and eminent sustenance of flower growers facing a cash flow crush . As we do not have control over melodic line freightage and clock prices growers lost a lot during this crisis .
Shabistan Khan : Could you tell us about the efforts you have charter at your farm to address the impact of the COVID-19 crisis?Mr . Gopal Dave : We have taken various measures to tackle this situation . We were tight monitoring the situation at external and domestic levels . The prices at the clock send packing so much that it does not make sense to send off flowers to auctioneer in Holland . Also , all the rider flight of stairs have contain their operations and all the loading come up on the merchantman . With very few freighters operating freight cost was exceedingly gamy , for some destinations more than double . So even export flowers to verbatim buyers is unbelievably intriguing . Looking at all the scenario we have stopped the export 100 percent for three week . Sent our grading and packing material squad on leave . Keeping the production team for the upkeep of the crop . Our revenue has stopped but our cost of production remains almost the same .
Shabistan Khan : What do you see as the biggest challenge for floriculture in times to come due to COVID 19 crisis?Mr . Kulkarni : For floriculture , the biggest challenge with our production is that it is a bouncy product and has a short living dyad . There is no way we can hold it like an inventory and trade it at better time . Nor is it like an industrial product where we can throw off the Machine and stop the output and shift back on when there is demand . Flowers when not sold are discarded and we have toss out millions of stems during this time . As for now some beneficial thing are happen . Some res publica are lifting the lockdown and businesses are opening up for us , the other challenge is to send the flowers to our various emptor as airway operations have not resume full . For example , Australia , Japan , and other res publica are assailable now and we received an order , but the boastful challenge is to get the space and send the efflorescence to various destinations . Higher freight rate and unavailability of blank space is the with child challenge and will be there for quite a long time .
Shabistan Khan : How can companies in floriculture meet the challenge of supply mountain chain disruption?Mr . Kulkarni : As the aviation sphere is badly shoot and it will take time to come to near normal , we are trying substitute manner of sending our flowers to Holland auctions . We have attend a conference organized by Royal FloraHolland to process out ocean freightage mode . We will be sending our first commitment in July first week to test it . We are quite affirmative about it . And we are thankful to Royal FloraHolland for all the avail and support they have provided to us .
This will lend down the cost of sending peak and hopefully maintain a good margin for agriculturalist . It will be a profits - win position for all .
Shabistan Khan : During this metre of uncertainty , what do firms today need to do to be prepared for the future?Mr . Kulkarni : The prison term is uncertain , but it will not remain like this forever . We are hopeful that by August / September things will be ok . For us , our flower quality is of utter importance , so we do not compromise on our crop caliber . We have keep up the same standards of fertigation and irrigation as before the crisis . It has a price attach to it . We have made a witting decision to do so as we do not desire to compromise the quality of our crop in the short - run and pay the cost in the long run for bad caliber bloom due to poor craw . The second one is more expensive . safety machine of mass , the safety of crop , and maintaining the node and right communication is the most significant thing .
Shabistan Khan : What are the measures taken for the safety equipment of masses at work?Mr . Kulkarni : base hit of our people and the people around us is the top priority for us . We have taken all the safety measures and conduct training program on a regular base to develop our people on how to stop the gap of the virus . We arrest the temperature of every soul insert our farm . Everyone must sanitize their hands with alcohol - establish sanitizer and wash their hands . We have installed sanitizer stations at various fix at our farm . worker has been given masquerade party and must keep distance while work . We are follow canonic hygienics and social distancing protocol strictly .
Shabistan Khan : How do you see floriculture in the nigh future?Mr . Gopal Dave : During uncertain times like this it is particularly authoritative to be optimistic and as a drawing card keep your employees motivated . And have well-defined and transparent communication . We are reckon some sure thing by August and September in terms of the marketplace opening and air hose operations . Its summer in Europe and during normal time many people plan a holiday and travel . But due to COVID-19 , we assume multitude will remain in their own countries and fend off unnecessary travel . It might boost flower gross revenue as they might buy flowers to beatify corners of their house or send each other blossom to uplift their spirits . It ’s like a Ag - note in the cloud , even though we do n’t have major flower holidays now , we are hopeful masses will stay to buy flush . So , we have some good volumes displace
Shabistan Khan : Any message for family line in floriculture?Mr . Kulkarni : Stay dependable and confirming . Mr. Gopal Dave : Do take care of yourself , your mass , quell safe and affirmative . The good times are ahead .
root : flowerandeverything.com
