Schwerin (dpa / mv) - The cultivation of flowers and ornamental plants in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has collapsed by around a quarter within four years. The decline affects both the number of companies and the area, which has shrunk by 23.4 percent, said the statistical office of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Tuesday in Schwerin.
According to this, in 2021 the industry still had 24 companies that cultivated a total of 25.8 hectares with flowers and ornamental plants. The focus is on bedding and balcony plants such as pansies and geraniums, as well as indoor plants such as poinsettias. According to the information, the center of ornamental plant cultivation in MV is the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim with 9.5 hectares, followed by Northwest Mecklenburg with 8.5 hectares.
The State President of the Horticultural Association sees one reason for the strong decline in the fact that more and more of the company founders and takeovers from the time shortly after the reunification are now retiring. Many would not find a successor, said Thomas Heinemann of the German Press Agency. It is difficult for young people who have studied to take over their parents' business and work 50 to 60 hours a week without the prospect of a particularly large salary.
Heinemann is not optimistic about the future. Operations would likely continue, he said. In addition to the shortage of skilled workers, there is now the sharp rise in energy prices. He heats his greenhouses mainly with wood pellets, reported the head of the Grönfingers company in Rostock. The price has tripled. Wood and wood pellets often come from Russia and Ukraine.
