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Rows of potted Phalaenopsis at Pannekoek Orchids, where the company produces 2.2 million plants annually. Photo: Ron van der Ploeg.
On the occasion of the 10th edition of the Dutch Orchid Inspiration Days, FCI sat down with Patrick van der Arend of Dutch orchid grower Pannekoek to gauge the sentiments in the Dutch orchid market.
Nestled in the horticultural cluster of Oostland, which has 1,630ha under glass, is Pannekoek Orchids. And yes, the Dutch word for pannekoek translates to “pancake”.
This Dutch culinary delight played an important role in what has become an annual open-doors event, during which Dutch orchid businesses host pre-booked tours of their greenhouses, dispatch areas and offices to showcase the incredible variety of orchids available to the trade.
Cas Pannekoek is widely recognised as the event’s ‘founding father’. Long before the B2B event became officially known as the Orchid Inspiration Days, Pannekoek was already hosting an annual open day inviting buyers to review the company’s product offering while treating them to freshly made pancakes.
In 1982, Cas Pannekoek was one of the early Dutch growers to try his luck in commercial orchids, at a time when the market was still a budding industry. Cas inherited the property at the scenic Molenweg in Berkel en Rodenrijs from his father, a stone’s throw from one of the area’s most beautiful windmills. It was here that he began to nurture his passion for plant growing, building a glasshouse to house a variety of orchids.
Over the years, the Dutch orchid sector expanded rapidly, and so did Pannekoek Orchids. As production volumes and the customer numbers grew, the need for additional space became critical. In 2006, Pannekoek moved the business 6km north, where he built four hectares of greenhouses, along with a dispatch area, offices and a showroom.
Today, the company grows 2.2 million potted Phalaenopsis annually and is proudly run by second-generation owner Lennert Pannekoek, who honours the company’s legacy while responding to the needs of modern customers. Patrick van der Arend oversees the company’s sales operations.
Growing up on a farm, Van der Arend learned the commitment and hard work required in the fields of agriculture and horticulture. But instead of stepping away from the industry, he embraced it. After working for Anthurium grower FlorXL, he joined Pannekoek Orchids in 2014.
Patrick van der Arend oversees sales at Pannekoek Orchids, a specialist producer of 12cm Multiflora Phalaenopsis. Photo: Ron van der Ploeg.
Van der Arend is blessed with a down-to-earth, practical outlook. Commenting on his role within the company, he says, “For all the fancy words that exist for it, I am a salesman. Together with my colleague Marieke, we do our best to sell potted Phalaenopsis grown in 12cm pots. We have around 100 customers and, through export companies operating via the auction system, we sell mainly to retailers.
“Approximately 13 per cent of our plants are sold through the auction clock. Thanks to our premium products, we enjoy strong brand recognition in Aalsmeer and Naaldwijk. The auction serves as a shop window for our products and also contributes to smarter logistics. Customers who have forgotten something can buy their last-minute plants at the clock, avoiding small-lot deliveries and half-empty trucks travelling from our nursery to Aalsmeer, Rijnsburg or Naaldwijk.”
Commenting on the state of the orchid trade, Van der Arend says: “So far, the year has been good, and I am generally satisfied with the sales figures. We have secured supply contracts for Mother’s Day promotions and summer campaigns, and with summer rapidly approaching, we are already working on autumn and Christmas sales. Having said that, there will always be some remaining lots for which you need to find a customer.”
Pannekoek is a specialist grower. The company produces only Multiflora Phalaenopsis and grows exclusively in 12cm pots. Multiflora orchids are known for being compact and prolific bloomers, producing numerous small flowers on multiple stems, often in vibrant colours.
According to Van der Arend, Pannekoek is one of only four growers producing 12cm Multiflora Phalaenopsis, alongside Van der Geest, Ter Laak and Optiflor. The group shares a unique relationship, balancing competition with collaboration.
Asked about market equilibrium, Van der Arend believes supply and demand are generally balanced in the Multiflora segment.
“However, this is not the case in Grandifloras, where some nurseries are planning to build new greenhouses. This will eventually increase supply volumes and put pressure on the broader Phalaenopsis market. I expect the first signs of disruption to appear this autumn.”
This prospect of increased volatility comes at a time when orchid growers still vividly remember the 2022 energy crisis, which triggered a shake-out across the industry and caused a significant drop in production. Ironically, soaring energy costs also helped solve the long-standing problem of oversupply.
Industry sources estimate that approximately 12 growers ceased production altogether, contributing to a 22 to 25 per cent reduction in market volumes. At the same time, the share of orchids sold through the auction clock is estimated to have fallen by between 10 and 12 per cent. This has contributed to stronger day-to-day market prices and has also supported pricing in direct Phalaenopsis sales.
As for future pricing, growers are holding firm, although a slight downward correction may become necessary next year.
Asked about current demand trends, Van der Arend notes that buyers are constantly searching for new colours, flower patterns, merchandising concepts and pot designs.
Helping to create differentiation and generate sales is Pannekoek’s range of “topiary” orchids, which command a price premium of around 40 per cent compared to the more mainstream staked plants. These include Phalaenopsis with stems trained into circular shapes that resemble colourful orchid bouquets for the coffee table, as well as specimens shaped into hearts to boost Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day sales. The company also markets Phalaenopsis presented in decorative tins with festive designs for the Christmas season.
Careful handling and presentation remain central to Pannekoek’s retail-focused Phalaenopsis production. Photo: Ron van der Ploeg.
Van der Arend elaborates, “Not all cultivars are easy to bend and shape. Applying metal clips to the flower spikes is a tedious and expensive task, particularly as labour costs continue to rise. The best way forward is range optimisation and limiting the availability of these value-added plants to key floral holidays.”
Pannekoek remains keen to trial new varieties and notes that Taiwan continues to be a hotspot for orchid breeding. New cultivars enter the Netherlands through breeders and propagators such as Floricultura, Labeau, Anthura and Hassinger.
“The problem is that around 90 per cent of Dutch orchid production consists of Grandifloras, so there is less incentive for product innovation in Multifloras.”
The retail sector is arguably Pannekoek’s largest customer group. Yet flowers and plants account for only 1.5 to 2 per cent of a retailer’s total revenue. What does this mean in practice?
Van der Arend says, “For the sake of their bargaining power, retailers will probably never admit that flowers and plants are an important category that contributes to the store’s image and the overall shopping experience. I don’t know whether floral departments are among the most profitable, but I do know supermarkets where flowers and plants are considered a key USP.”
Van der Arend acknowledges that growers can sometimes feel they are treated as interchangeable suppliers, particularly when retail orders are cancelled at short notice or when supermarkets apply heavy pricing pressure.
He stresses, “It really comes down to good communication because you need each other. It’s not always as bad as people think. Sometimes retailers are willing to help and share some of the costs in the case of cancelled orders. It’s rare, but it does happen.”
Pannekoek’s value-added Phalaenopsis include decorative pot concepts and stems trained into bouquet-style shapes for retail display. Photo: Ron van der Ploeg.
Speaking of retail, if a potted Phalaenopsis does not look good on the shelf, it simply will not sell. In many supermarkets, orchids are still displayed adjacent to fresh produce, while in the supply chain they are often transported alongside fruit and vegetables.
With this in mind, Pannekoek has followed the example of many other orchid businesses by adopting advanced storage technology on customer request. Controlled-atmosphere storage in sealed rooms offers effective control over ethylene levels.
“But plants need to be treated for four hours. In day-to-day trade, where orders arrive between 7am and 8am, and plants are shipped around 11am, that simply isn’t practical. The treatment is better suited to orders placed in advance.
“The impact is also greater when plants have not yet reached full maturity. We have extensively trialled the technology, and treated plants clearly perform better than untreated specimens.
“Order size is another factor. The chamber only holds around 6,000 plants. If you need to dispatch more plants, someone has to empty and refill the chamber throughout the night.”
Meanwhile, MPS- and MPS-GAP-certified Pannekoek remains focused on sustainability, describing itself as a follower rather than a pioneer.
“We have hired someone to look into carbon footprinting. In day-to-day trade, no customer asks for it, but we understand that retailers increasingly do. Carbon footprinting is therefore also a way of future-proofing the business.”
One of the company’s next sustainability steps will be connecting to a geothermal energy network. In addition, it already utilises recycled CO₂ supplied by OCAP from the Port of Rotterdam.
Pannekoek is also keen to reduce its use of plastics, although Van der Arend says progress is limited by the availability of suitable recycled material.
“Our pots contain 30 per cent recycled content. If we increase that percentage, there is a risk the pots become too cloudy, which can negatively affect root development.”
In an increasingly eco-conscious world, horticulture is coming under greater scrutiny regarding its use of crop protection products. More recently, the Dutch industry launched the 100% Groen Geteeld (100% Green Grown) initiative. The programme aims to reduce the risks associated with pesticide use while improving plant resilience to pests, diseases and climate change, without compromising profitability or product quality.
Innovation pilots are currently underway, including in Phalaenopsis production. These trials operate under carefully defined crop protection programmes supported by escalation protocols and scouting systems. By sharing methods, insights and lessons learned, participants can develop more resilient and effective growing strategies.
Van der Arend notes, “For now, 100% Green Grown is a bridge too far for us. We continue to rely on authorised crop protection products, which we use only as an emergency measure. We certainly applaud the companies participating in the programme. Overall, thanks to insect netting, we have already been able to reduce our use of chemicals dramatically.”
Looking ahead, Van der Arend sees most growth opportunities in Eastern Europe.
“Growth is currently coming mainly from Poland. However, competition there is particularly intense, especially in Multifloras. I believe there are also good opportunities in Scandinavia, Germany and France. Austria and Switzerland also offer potential.
“Germany remains our largest market. The strongest growth is currently coming from France, even though the overall French orchid market may be shrinking. While French consumers are tightening their purse strings, they are likely looking for something different from Grandiflora Phalaenopsis.”
