Italian government grants industry permission to sell flowers and plants

Author: Ron van der Ploeg

MONOPOLI, Italy: Breaking industry news from Italy where after weeks of intensive lobbying ANVE, Italy’s National Association of Nursery Stock Exporters, announces that the Italian government has granted the country’s floriculture industry to sell flowers, potted plants, garden plants and nursery stock at the retail level.

The state decree (Decreto del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri of 22 March) stipulates that all industry members must take all necessary and appropriate steps to protect its employees and customers in line with the latest medical advice and government rules.

The news comes after the country’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared a nationwide lockdown on 10 March. It wouldn’t be unrealistic to assume that this breakthrough in securing the re access to flower shops and garden centres will serve other countries which are currently under a full coronavirus lockdown such as France and Spain.

ANVE’s president Leonardo Capitanio says that over the past weeks he has been in close contact with Italy’s minister of agriculture Teresa Bellanova and her Undersecretary Giuseppe L’Abbate, “who came to understand who we are, what we do and our contribution to the Italian economy.”

Last week, Capitanio reached out to ANVE members by sending them a Forza Italia, Forza Fiori letter.