The international flower business has grown substantially in recent decades. This growth has created many logistic challenges for supply chains. The cost of transport is the main expense faced by growers. If successfully developed, sea transport of cut flowers can make the supply chain more competitive and can improve profitability. supply flowers by sea.

Herman de Boon, Chairman, VGB and Vice Chairman, Union Fleurs; said – The main issue facing the supply chains is how to respond to the comparative advantages held by the various production areas. Important factors in the competitive arena, in addition to production costs, are logistics costs, quality control and carbon and water footprints. A smart combination of especially selected varieties, post-harvest care, packaging, transport mode, quality control, ICT and supply chain management can contribute to the comparative advantages held by international production areas and give them stronger, more competitive position than local supply.

Sea transport of cut flowers – To gain insight into the supply chain for sea transport of ornamentals; much study and evaluation in practice has been done. These pilot shipments have been carried out with various plant and flower varieties.

Research work on sea transport of cut flowers was carried out partly by Flora Holland and partly by Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research

Assumptions
Only when the cool chain and other conditions from the breeder to the wholesaler’s box are under good control, can sea transport be viable, and the quality be maintained during long transport periods.

To gain insight into the sea freight supply chain for fresh cut flowers, a study into the challenges and solutions for the further development of these sea freight chains has been carried out featuring different routes. The research work carried out emphasized the varieties; Roses and Chrysanthemum. Research has also been carried out into; Gypsophila, Dianthus, Alstroemeria, Leucodendron, Solidago and Lilium

The Study: Sea transport of cut flowers By Country

1. Colombia – the Netherlands (via Spain):
– 2 import pilots: October 2008 & May 2009
– In cooperation with Wesseling Export
– Various types of carnation bunches, uncertain origin and type of carnation
– Successful: logistics phase (14 days) turned out well, the majority have a good vase life; pay attention to flower opening

2. Ecuador – the Netherlands:
– 2 import pilots: January 2010 & February 2010
– In cooperation with Oudendijk and MFI
– Rose (Cherry Brandy,Esperance, Freedom), Alstroemeria (Red Silhouette), Gypsophilia (Million Star, New Love) and Leucodendron (Gold Strike, Safari)
– Cool chain subjected to stringent controls by Oudendijk logistics centre and
local breeders
– Successful: logistics phase (17 days) turned out well, excellent vase life;
pay attention to flower opening and cutting stage

3. Kenya – the Netherlands
– Logistics corridor examined
– In cooperation with Bloom
– Due to expected delay at the Salalah hub or the ES customs (26 days of transit time), no test shipment could be carried out reliably within the maximum number of transportation days.

Pilot shipments later carried out in Kenya:
There is currently only one shipping line offering a direct connection to Europe without transhipping ie, Linea Messina arriving in ports in the Mediterranean area (Barcelona, Marseille, and Genoa) within about 20 days.

4. Israel – the Netherlands
– 1 import pilot: May 2009
– In cooperation with Agrexco
– Transit time: 7 days
– Regular import shipment of Solidago in smartbox (palletGsize collapsible crate) in ship’s hold with climate control. Good results.

5. The Netherlands – Finland:
– 2 export pilots (short-sea): May & August 2010
– In cooperation with Fertiplant & IBH
– Transit time: 5 days
– Various plants, a few flowers, Pilot 1 with garden and potted plants, Pilot 2 with ball chrysanthemums
– Pilot 1: Good quality except for potted Gerbera (initial quality not good enough)
– Pilot 2: Test shipment with the 47ft highcube container for the 43 Danish carts (Unit 45). Good quality. Plastic around the carts releases a lot of condensation onto the product due to the high humidity in the sea container. Advisable to remove the plastic.
– Transport process: satisfying
– Can be a supplement to road transport

6. The Netherlands – Turkey
– 1 export pilot: September 2010, various plants
– In cooperation with IBH
– Transit time: 10 days; incl. custom/phytosanitary 12 days
– Successful transportation of potted rose plants
– Transportation of various other varieties was not successful. Further research is desired to find suitable packaging. The packaging should be adjusted to better fit the method of climate control, in order to improve the ‘micro-climate’ at the plant level.
– Good results from flowering tests of Anthurium and Phalaenopsis after 10 days of transport simulation.

7. The Netherlands – Russia
– Exploration of the logistic corridor
– Good harbor facilities at St. Petersburg and Kroonstad, professional connections to the hinterland. No test shipment because of complex custom and phytosanitary situations.
– Transit time for Short Sea is 4-5 days. road transport takes 3 days.

Results of the study on sea transport of cut flowers from the Countries above

During the study, we found that results of sea freight projects have been mixed. When problems occurred, it was often because of a combination of existing quality issues with roses (botrytis, downy mildew), deficient cold chain management and the unavailability of packaging specifically designed for sea freight.

An important lesson learnt is that sea transport is only possible if the cold chain and other technical conditions are optimised and fully under control, starting at the nursery all along the supply chain until the roses reach their final customer. In our view, all required knowledge and technology is either available or can be acquired through additional research and testing.

If sea transport of cut flowers is to work:

Here are Some sea transport of cut flowers General recommendations

1. Cool down quickly and keep product cold
– Temperaturedaysum low -> flowers have better storage life
– Priorities: 1. temperature, 2. dehydration, 3. condensation
– Cool down quickly after harvest (rule of thumb: 30 – 60 min.) to or near (max. +1.5°C) the transport temperature
– Use e.g. vacuum cooling or Forced Air Cooling

2. Vacuum cooling
– Cooling by moisture evaporation
– Rapid cooling > drying effect > short cooling time (30 min. per batch)
– No significant extra dehydration when cooler is used normally Rule of thumb for dehydration: about 1-2 % of initial weight; however, no significant weight difference was found in the (chain) test carried out.

3. Forced Air Cooling
– Cooling by air flow along surface of product
– Rapid cooling > less differences > shorter cooling time
– Prolonged air streams = shrinkage
– Place boxes closely against the wall and avoid packaging which blocks air flow

4. Temperaturedaysum:
– temperature of product during transport x number of transport days
– Both time and temperature of transport can affect quality
– Keep temperaturedaysum as low as possible
– The temperaturedaysum gives a good indication of the impact of transporation on the quality

5. Illustration:
– Air transport: 3 days x 10 degrees Celsius on average = 30 dC;
– Sea transport: 20 days x 1 degree Celsius on average = 20 dC.
– Quality of flowers transported by sea can be better than those
transported by air

6. Air disinfection:
– Not needed when normal hygienic measures are taken: infected flowers are not a source of Botrytis during storage (in cooler or refrigerated transport).
– As long as infections do not form spores, the flowers do not release extra
spores into the air; disinfecting is therefore not necessary
– Decontaminants kill organisms in the air; not the germinated spores.

Recommendations for sea transport of cut flowers – Roses

1. Choice of cultivar:
– Select cultivars less susceptible to Botrytis (and avoid Botrytis infection during cultivation).

2. After harvesting:
– Dipping the buds in Switch, Medallion or Chlorine will reduce the chances of Botrytis infection.
– Test the dip: Switch and Chlorine may damage certain cultivars.
– Pre-treatment with Chrysal RVB and AVB may improve flower opening (for specific cultivars).

3. Packaging:
– Best packaging: dry in sleeve and box
– To store for long periods, dry storage results in better quality (less Botrytis during the vase life) than storage in water.
– Sleeves protect against dehydration.

4. Pre-cooling
– The product has to be at the right temperature (0.5 – 2 °C) before transporting.

5. Transportation
– Use a set point of 0.5°C (does not cause frost damage). Temperatures up to 2°C are suitable for transport; a temperature variation of +1.5°C is normal in a container or a truck.
– Selected cultivars can endure a transport period of at least 14 days.

5. After transportation
– Hydrating after dry transportation enables recovery to above the original weight.

6. Vase life
– Keep the temperaturedaysum as low as possible. The temperaturedaysum between harvesting and sale is a direct indication for the remaining vase life (for roses without Botrytis).
– Use cut flower nutrients in the vase.

Recommendations for sea transport of cut flowers – Chrysanthemum

1.Choice of cultivar:
– Selected cultivars can endure dry transportation of 3 weeks.
– Select cultivars less susceptible to transportation stress (N.B. This is partly influenced by season and breeder).
– The two tests below, taken together, give the breeder insight into transportation
suitability:
+  20°C-test: indicates leaf problems (yellowing) within 4 days
+  Hotbox test: indicates Botrytis infection (flower problems)

2. Packaging:
– Sleeves can prevent dehydration.
– The best packaging: dry in sleeve and box

3. Pre-cooling
– The product has to be at the right temperature (0.5 – 2 °C) before transport.
– There are no differences in quality and vase life between storage at 0.5 °C and at 1.5 °C. N.B.: Maintain a set point of 0.5 °C; flowers in boxes on pallets are warmer (+ 1 °C on the average) than the set point.

4. After transportation:
– Limit the shop phase as it worsens quality problems in leaves (for specific cultivars).
– Slack flowers recover when re-hydrated.
– Vase life is not related to moisture loss (<11%) during transport.

5. Vase life:
– Use cut flower nutrients in the vase.

Conclusion for sea transport of cut flowers

Traders and growers in the floricultural sector strive for recognition as sustainable and environmentally conscious partners.

Sustainability becomes mainstream
In the sector, quality standards and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) keep on gaining importance. Demand for sustainably produced flowers is rising, including a growing awareness of carbon footprint. Global trends such as global warming and depletion of natural resources have reinforced the perception that sustainable production and transport is necessary. In various covenants (directives and regulations), agreements are made to realise energy savings. Consumers regard sustainability to be increasingly important, or even self-evident.

Lean and transparent supply chains
The industry is evolving towards lean and transparent supply chains characterised by consolidation and vertical integration. Trade is becoming increasingly virtualised, making accurate exchange of information critical.