Four questions for Veiling Rhein Maas

What does the collaboration between Royal FloraHolland and Veiling Rhein Maas look like?

"Think of it as an extension of Royal FloraHolland's marketplace network. Some 1,200 additional wholesalers, garden centres and florists buy their flowers and plants here. And RFH members can trade relatively easily through our auction and reach the German market directly."

Can any grower come to Veiling Rhein Maas?

"In principle they can, but we do monitor the balance between supply and demand. Does your product fit the bill, is there a demand for it? Then, as an RFH member, you can get started right away, and this shows: 62% of our sales are made by members of Royal FloraHolland."

How big is Veiling Rhein Maas' reach in Germany?

"Over 80% of our sales remain in Germany: we extensively cover both the Ruhr region and North Rhine-Westphalia. Other regions need some further development. We have therefore launched a pilot to recruit remote customers to buy through KOA. We put the products on carts as efficiently as possible and arrange transport to the customer. We do this, for example, in Bavaria, a relatively rich state. The aim is to use this to expand the German market even further, including for RFH members."

Last year was African Week. Did it give you a taste for more?

"It certainly did. It was a great opportunity for African RFH members to showcase their range here. They also heard first-hand what is important to German buyers, for example in terms of maturity and assortment. This year we are organising another African Week and we are even thinking of organising other themed weeks as well. If we can bring our buyers and growers closer together in this way, we will have achieved an important goal."

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