International Fair For Plants And Flowers, Technology And Garden Diy. 20th to 22th October 2010 Español


 
 
 
 
 
  16/09/2009 -  IBERFLORA
  INTERVIEW WITH VANNINO VANNUCCI, PRESIDENT OF THE PISTOIA NURSERIES ASSOCIATION  
 
The province of Pistoia has yet again confirmed that it will be exhibiting at IBERFLORA. Exactly what does that mean in terms of the number of companies that will be represented?
Our estimates indicate that we will manage to keep the same number of exhibitors as in 2008.

What will they be expecting when they come to IBERFLORA?
We are coming to IBERFLORA again in the hope of finding a more optimistic climate than we did at last year's fair. Exports to Spain dropped suddenly in the last exercise, quite the opposite of what happened with the other countries in Europe that are traditional customers of ours, in other words France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In those countries sales have managed to remain at the same levels as before the global crisis and we would like to appraise how the Spanish market is behaving this year.

  
 
What do you think about the increase in the number of sectors represented at the fair such as garden d.i.y.?
In our view any kind of initiative that can attract new professional operators in the industry is positive, so in that sense IBERFLORA has gone down the right road.

How many members does the association you are president of have?
This is a regional association that, since its inception in 1996 has represented all nurseries in the Italian towns of Pistoia, Agliana, Montale, Quarrata and Serravalle Pistoiese. All together, the association groups together about 1800 companies.

How significant is plant-growing to Pistoia's economy?
Nurseries, as we say in Italy, are a "flower in the buttonhole", that is to say they are a key activity within the economy of the province of Pistoia, with more than 10.000 operators and a turnover above 800 million euros.

What are the major products that Pistoia's nurseries produce?
Our output covers everything from medium to large outdoor plants to "immediate effect" specimens that are transplanted and need to be transplanted several times. The other thing that is particularly significant is our production of plants in containers, which ranges across more than 1000 different species, from Mediterranean to Nordic plants.

Pistoia's ornamental plant sector is achieving positive results against a very precarious international economic background. What do you think accounts for this performance?
It is surely down to the dynamism and professionalism of Pistoia's nursery owners. Even when times are better they have always sought out new markets to sell their top quality products to.

What characterises the nursery businesses in the province?
Primarily innovation, but also everyone looks to innovate, they take new market trends on board really quickly and endeavour to react to those trends appropriately.

Do you think that the modus operandi of Pistoia's nursery sector could be exported to other plant producing areas?
It is not that easy. In Pistoia the nursery owners are now third generation and that, along with the climate, the type of soil and the growers' perseverance, imagination and professionalism creates a province that is excellent for outdoor plants. A province that I would say is almost unique of its kind as far as both quality and quality are concerned. It is for all these reasons that Pistoia has come to deserve the title of "Europe's green capital."