European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes sunday. November 24, 1985 those Blooming imports . Flower growers Hurt by foreign Petal pushers by Taha Bradley Steck i i lower f. Ate o i h Irown Don. I. My Al -. Spot i it i. The Thorn Prtrt ing t. In h claims that by  of Icv i i i ii our Nir Jot concerto  Pittsburgh Cut  of them to Rose growers producing about 5. " of .".onr. / Wijt ?0  of d10-plus years the.1 by -i-.-,1,  i Are Luminous Clouds Hai in aggressive Competition from 1 1 i. I m products like Icil. I in to i  is Lori ing in h o. I ,. Future . Ii -. I i -i., i i a link Liu Berscan tic b  a ,. In Kiniry and Iii be Alt Mil us a Here Lii i1,lit 1 1. N Ali Ai i. C Tkv i -,.111m i ii " b at sillier. Burket i i it we. Be delivered to Theu plod sinter from 1 the world  than ?4 hours emf Hoy re in  ,  Lului i Jin Tho Iby i Schulden fed the  j   to lower Are now ill i  Rii High Levei. " a in 30 Fth fun of ii Arrand i. ,., in a Luo in 190-1. In 1. An Irir Justry onily ,1 1 i t a i comr Iii ii n   or r 1 i of " by count . I7c he. Ruled  t1 ,. I a Ani Erinn gun we of a. Fir. Tho Darnt u Mio strato that the injury 1h"/rf i ".  in Gubson Tirl part by  Oonie Stic production if it or. Dunn  h.i1. Held its  people Are buying More Flowers expert a. But the Pupu Itin of the Market or Domestic grower a is shrinking Boc our imports Are filling he demand Lilli Ann  the director of of the new York based Flower Council of Holland claims the  Market in t saturated and us. Growers could compete i ire effectively if they d cooperate with , in advertising Flowers and be More creative in what they grow let s face it she said when you the of Juten Flowers being grown in Europe at higher labor Rosk than in the u Sand they re flown Over Here. It in freight has to be added on. It would eem to me  a i s grower who s on the Ball would be Able to a Onipede very easily. I just Tomk the growers who Are looking toward the future and Are progressive have seen that if you expand the Market there s More than enough to go around she added Colombia is the top ranking Petal Pusher among the foreign competitors supplying 58 percent of All Cut Flowers imported domestically in 1984, according to the department of agriculture Mexico and Guatemala last year supplied 19 percent and 6 percent respectively Domestic growers claim those countries have a natural advantage because they Don t have to pay High heating Bills and Standard . Labor costs. We have an enormous investment in greenhouses Here 11 costs a Fortune to  Slatton said rattling of the figures Sieve station in one of hit company s greenhouses with a bundle of Long Stem roses. 100.000 gallon of water per Day. 6.300 tons of Coal a year in South America there s no heating problem they go into the mountains until they find a Micro climate with stable temperatures humidity and sunlight i Abor runs from a to $35 a week per person " Holland has none of the South american advantages but advanced technology aggressive marketing and a cooperative system among growers helped the Netherlands gain control of 11 percent of the Market Tor All imported Cut Lowers last year and practically Corner Tho Market in bulb Flowers like tulips. Freesia. Ins and , according to the u3da two years ago. Florists were afraid to touch these Flowers because they thought they were Loo  Bresnahan says now they la All Tell you they can t gel along without them " the imports have a elected not just a few varieties of Flowers but an entire bouquet. Pittsburgh Cut Flowers which now grows mostly roses had to phase out is production of chrysanthemums and carnations in the Early 60s. When imports became too Many Salton says. Now. About 70 percent of All Standard carnations and 68 percent of All Pompon mums purchased in the United slates Are imported according to the us a roses once considered too Deli ate to transport Long distances Are being imported in amazing numbers thanks to new technology that enables roses to withstand being out of water for a Tiro about 40 4 million roses were imported in 1984, almost 10 time More than the 4.2 million imported in 1975. According to government figures currently More than one out of every four roses bought in this country Are grown elsewhere  incan american Trade group of to  growers claims the figures Are much higher the group said More than 1?9 million roses were imported in 1984 and 78 5 million roses were imported Lor the first five months of 19b and that has Slatton deeply worried the steel Industry found that when imports got to be about ?5 percent things  Slatton says there seems to to a certain percentage of the Market when things begin to collapse " imports May be cheaper but  claims his Flowers Are belter because they re fresher and hardier the things we do Here no importer can Orne close to approaching he says. Meanwhile. Slatton says hell hang on a tenaciously As crocuses in the Spring. I m sure there Are places the Money could be put into with a lol less  Slatton said As he surveyed the 13 acres of Glass thai contain the company s Vuturo out Lor me. I m too cussed. I love this work As Long As we can remain profitable Well