Türkiye’s Mediterranean coastal metropolis of Antalya has exported 5 million lower flowers to Greece, Ismail Yılmaz, head of the Central Anatolian Ornamental Plants and Products Exporters’ Association (OAIB), mentioned on Thursday.
“The new export success came as a new entertainment genre, in which flower petals are showered over women’s heads, replaced the traditional Greek ‘sirtaki’ celebration and dance whereby plates are smashed,” mentioned Yılmaz.
He added that gross sales to the neighboring nation generated $3 million (TL 55.94 million) in revenues.
Smashing plates is a time-honored Greek custom that may be noticed throughout wedding ceremony receptions.
Antalya already stands out as Türkiye’s floral hub and ships tens of millions of lower flowers, particularly carnations, previous to Christmas celebrations throughout the European continent.
Yılmaz acknowledged that Christmas shipments stood wholesome, and famous that 70 million bunches of lower flowers had been exported this yr with a turnover of round $7 million.
“During this period, we encountered intense demand for red, white, purple and burgundy colors,” he mentioned.
Stating that Antalya gained consideration with large orders from many nations together with the Netherlands, Germany and the U.Ok., Yilmaz additionally confused that additional flower shipments might be shipped through air cargo to any extent further and famous that shipments had been solely depending on vehicles earlier than.
“For the Christmas season, quite a lot of exports had been made to the Netherlands, which is the distribution middle of the decorative plant trade, and Antalya is the province from the place we export most lower flowers. Almost all lower flower exports originate from Antalya,’’ he concluded.
