Dutch growers cut off flower bulbs to repel tourists

During the holidays, many gathered to admire the flower areas, despite coronavirus restrictions

Coronavirus is hitting hard most aspects of our ordinary living. Even flowers, as it turns out, have not been spared by the crisis: the world-famous Dutch tulips and other flowers were the latest to fall victim to the global pandemic.

This week it was announced that bulb growers in the Netherlands have started cutting off flower bulbs. This is done in an effort to warn off gathering tourists, reports DutchNews.nl. The Netherlands is famous for its wide tulip gardens and naturally, they attract hordes of tourists every year.

No flowers, no tourists

In the heat of the spring season, when the country is usually transformed by the blooming tulips and hyacinths, many people chose to surround themselves with nature and spend the weekends in places that are filled with flowers.

This year, too, many decided to head towards the blooming areas, disregarding precautions against the spread of coronavirus and many appeals to stay at home. What is more, as the annual Keukenhof festival 2020 has been cancelled due to the global pandemic, locals were left with limited options to admire the beautiful flowers.

In turn, as means of precaution, local mayors were forced to close roads for the Easter weekend to prevent visitors from reaching to the growing areas. The latest developments have caused the local growers’ network organisation to take swift actions.

Their decision to cut out the blooms earlier is said to be widely supported in the growers’ sector. Their spokesperson has said that health is the most important thing today and the sector will be contributing to limiting the spread of the virus by doing whatever they can.

Up to 70% reduced turnover for the flower industry

The imposed restrictions for the works of florists in the country and the closure of garden centres are threatening the industry. The Netherlands is estimated to produce as much as 77% of all traded bulbs in the world.

A nation-wide initiative using the hashtags #FlowerBoostChallenge and #BuyFlowersNotToiletPaper, however, enticing citizens and businesses to buy flowers, has allowed for many growers to stay afloat despite the crisis, explains The Guardian.