- The producer of tulips, peonies, lily of the valley, and roses gets rid of millions of flowers a day.
- He is pushing on large surfaces so that orders resume as quickly as possible.
"It really hurts my heart." At the end of the line, Nicolas Bigot is in shock. This Monday, when the tulip season is in full swing, he foresees a sad destiny for these pretty colorful flowers which come out their head under its four hectares of greenhouses, for a few days. "This morning, we throw a million in the trash, reports the director of Bigot Fleurs, a family business created around sixty years ago in Allonnes, in the Sarthe. We have no choice, unlike other sectors, we cannot pause and come back after confinement is finished. Once they are too flowered, there is nothing more to do with them. "
With 20 million euros in turnover in normal times, the coronavirus epidemic is a “tsunami” for this giant of the cut flower, which produces tulips, peonies, lily of the valley, and roses on the spot and abroad . If the closure of florists complicates matters, it is especially the situation of large areas that weighs on the activity of Bigot Fleurs. "Usually, we send 500,000 flowers a day, mainly for bouquets from large retailers," explains Nicolas Bigot. In the context, it is the food supply that is privileged. Result, 90% less sales. A dead loss of almost 100,000 euros per day. "
"A race against time"
In an attempt to limit the mess, the entrepreneur announces that he has sent a few bouquets to hospitals in France, to "brighten up the daily lives of hospital staff". Bigot Fleurs, which continues its activity of flower delivery to individuals, has placed a large part of its employees on partial unemployment (it is necessary to maintain in spite of everything) but is pushing on large surfaces so that orders resume as quickly as possible. "Our citizens will have to show solidarity with us by continuing to buy flowers," hopes Nicolas Bigot, who also fears for his lily of the valley production, on May 1 approaching. We are in a race against the clock, and the whole horticultural sector could disappear. If it is, within three weeks, we won't be there. Even if we freeze all expenses. "
If the company has of course understood the measures promised by the government for companies, it considers that it is only a "drop of water" faced with the situation. A finding shared by the deputy for Maine-et-Loire (LR) Jean-Charles Taugourdeau, who wrote to the Prime Minister this weekend to alert him to the situation of horticulture, an important economic sector in the Pays de the Loire.
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Coronavirus: Fresh produce neglected in “containment races”?
- Coronavirus
- Covid 19
- Economy
- Flowers
- Consumption