A flowering business - How profitable is floristry in Serbia?

Serbia has great conditions for the development of floristry and significant production and export potential in this area, but the data by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia show that the import of flowers to Serbia has been three times larger that the export for years. Cut flowers dominate the import from the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Hungary to Serbia: roses, carnations, mums, orchids and gladiolas, seeds and planting material, live flowers and ornamental shrubs, although even European experts claim that Serbia and southern France are the best environments for growing roses, considering the number of sunny days and the distribution of precipitation.

The example of the Petrovic family from the village of Jabucje near Lajkovac, which has been growing flowers in its greenhouse for 12 years, proves that this activity can be profitable.

– We are satisfied with the results, although the state of the market is slightly worse than it was in previous years, partly because of reduced purchasing power. We have decided to focus on the quality and not expand our production too much, because I believe that quality wins and our regular customers recognize this very well – says the head of the family, Radoslav Petrovic, in his interview for eKapija.

He notes that florists are nearly unanimous in their opinion that the production of flowers is probably the most beautiful agricultural branch, but certainly the most expensive one as well. The family Petrovic have so far invested over EUR 20,000 in starting and developing their business, which meant, among other things, raising the greenhouse, getting the equipment, seeds and irrigation and heating systems.

– We are planning a new investment soon, that is, raising another structure which will be a real Garden Center, with an even larger number of seeds planted and a more varied selection of flowers. We are currently expecting the import of the greenhouse and I hope that we will have good news as soon as next spring – Petrovic points out.

Minimal starting investment EUR 3,000

Business consultants and advisers for the development of entrepreneurship say that, to grow flowers, one needs to own land or lease it, a greenhouse and advice by agriculture experts or sellers of seeds and processed materials. If one chooses to specialize and grow roses exclusively, for example, to start a business on a 1,000 m2 area, around 4,800 stems are required, as well as the preparation of the land, tilling, fertilizing, protection and workforce. Before it all, the composition of the ground needs to be examined, because one can get larger yields and save on fertilizers that way.

Minimal starting investments amount to around EUR 3,000-3,500 for a 150 m2 greenhouse, or 1,000 m2 of land for roses, and florists must also take into consideration expenses of EUR 1,500 (greenhouse) and EUR 4,000 (roses) for additional workforce, daily wages for picking and packing, pumps, packaging and leasing a market stall.

The entrepreneur registers as a legal entity or an agricultural holding, and the products are mostly sold at local green markets or at wholesale markets.

When it comes to education, it's enough for florists to follow the instructions of sellers of planting materials or competent departments of the Ministry of Agriculture, which exist in all municipalities. Due to the scope of the work, additional workforce often needs to be employed in certain periods.

Florists' favorite holiday – March 8

The quality of plants depends on the elements of the production, the time of planting, fertilizers, protection and irrigation, and from timely picking, proper grafting and trenching. For this reason, florists need to constantly consult the professional literature and expand their knowledge in order to cultivate the plants appropriately.

The average price of roses is about EUR 2.5 per flower, which brings an income of EUR 12,000 on a 1,000 m2 area. According to some estimates, on small surfaces, floristry is more profitable than growing vegetables, which is also supported by the fact that flowers are sold throughout the year.

Still, florists emphasize that the peak season happens every year around March 8, when the offer needs to be exceptionally rich and varied, as an incredible number of of ornamental plants are sold on that date. There's great demand in the period from late March till June as well, because it is then that yards, balconies and gardens are being ornamented with flowers.

Marko Andrejic

Privredna komora Srbije

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Garden centar d.o.o. Beograd

flower production

export of flowers from Serbia

import of flowers to Serbia

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia

CCIS

roses

carnations

mums

orchids

gladiolas

flower seeds

planting materials

ornamental shrubs

Petrovic greenhouse

Radoslav Petrovic

village of Jabucje

greenhouse

Garden Center

entrepreneurship

agricultural holding

Ministry of Agriculture