According to the latest data from the Dutch Association of Wholesalers in Floricultural Products (VGB) and market analysts from Floridata, in 2025, Dutch exports of flowers and plants from the Netherlands to Poland in 2025 reached a value of €467 million, representing a 12.1% increase compared to the previous year. Poland currently holds the position of the fourth largest recipient of Dutch flowers and plants.
Beeld: MagdaZiętek
Warsaw Garden Expo Trade Fair
The booming horticultural sector in Poland was also visible at this year's 6th edition of Warsaw Garden Expo of which an integral part of the trade fair was the program of accompanying events, including industry conferences, expert panels, and workshops. Also Dutch products were represented, such as trees and shrubs, which are planted on Polish streets and city squares, creating representative avenues, green boulevards, and modern public spaces that act as green lungs, effectively reducing temperatures in heat islands. The annual Expo has been growing with each edition, from the first, which hosted 195 exhibitors and attracted over 13,000 visitors to the 2025 edition with 413 exhibitors and more than 19,000 visitors. Warsaw Garden Expo continues to expand in scale.
Soil and climate challenges in Poland
Despite the booming sector, Polish horticulture also faces some challenges, such as the quality soil and a dryer climate. A large proportion consists of light soils with a lower capacity to retain water and nutrients. Soils in Poland were mainly formed from post-glacial deposits, which generates systemic limitations directly affecting sector profitability. According to data from Statistics Poland (GUS), approximately 40% of soils in Poland have an acidic or very acidic pH. It is estimated that as a result of excessive acidification, farms in Poland suffer losses ranging from about €500 million to 1 billion annually. This deficit provides opportunities for precision liming technologies and digital pH management.
Soil issues are exacerbated by climate change and increasing drought. Poland’s renewable freshwater resources per person are about 1 500–1 600 m³/year. This is below the UN “water security” threshold of 1 700 m³/person/year, below which a country is considered at risk of water stress and well below EU averages that are around 8 000–9 000 m³/person/year. Agriculture is largely effected by this low availability of water. As indicated by the Polish Economic Institute, the annual value of crop losses caused by drought in Poland can reach up to 6.5 billion PLN (approximately €1.55 billion).
Beeld: Pixabay
Nature in the urban structure
In the context of rising temperatures, professional greenery management is becoming one of the key elements of development strategies for Polish cities. Trends observed at GardenExpo point toward an evolution to nature-inclusive solutions.
Greenery is also increasingly moving beyond traditional parks and squares. Architects, urban planners, and investors are looking for solutions that integrate nature directly into building structures, on rooftops, facades, and building walls. The explosive growth in demand for green roofs and vertical gardens is a response to dense urban development.
Total plant and flowers exports of the Netherlands
Dutch exports of flowers and plants grew by nearly 2% reaching €7.2 billion compared to €7 billion in 2024. This growth was mainly due to rising prices, but the plant industry simultaneously managed to increase the volume of products sold. This data also shows that demand for flowers and plants remains strong despite market challenges, reflecting the industry's resilience and the growing consumer interest in horticultural products.
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More information
The Netherlands Agricultural Network team at the Dutch Embassy stands ready to help any Dutch company interested in doing business with Poland.
For more information about this topic, please contact: war-lvvn@minbuza.nl