The country grew wealthy selling tulip bulbs in the 17th century during the so-called Dutch Golden Age and remains the second largest agricultural exporter behind the United States.

For decades the FloraHolland cooperative has acted as the hub from which planeloads of flowers from around the world are distributed from vast, air-conditioned warehouses in Aalsmeer, near Amsterdam airport.

The company says it distributes almost 50 per cent of all flowers sold worldwide and last year it reported sales of 4.6 billion euros (C$6.7 billion), mostly from matching growers and buyers at its famous early-morning daily auctions.

But worryingly for FloraHolland chief executive Lucas Vos, sales of flowers by growers directly to buyers have overtaken those sold through FloraHolland’s auctions.

Direct sales from members of the cooperative bypassing the auctions rose by 3.8 per cent to 2.3 billion euros last year.

Auction sales stood at 2.1 billion euros, down one per cent.

“We need to realize that if, for instance, we want to get flowers into China or India… the logistical system we have built for ourselves probably does not fit,” said Vos, who was brought in from shipping firm Maersk in 2014.

In response, FloraHolland is looking to make changes to an auction system that dates back more than 100 years.

It is investing up to 90 million euros over the next five year and plans to develop a 24-hour online dealing platform.

It will be like “a Tinder or AirBNB” for flowers, Vos said.

That could eventually lead to the Dutch auction halls, where some 3,000 work, falling silent, but change is already apparent; some 70 per cent of sales come from remote bidders.

Vos remains confident, however.

“Most producers grow one type of flower, and if you’re a consumer, you want a bouquet,” he said. “There will always be a need for a hub.”

Overseas sites

For European markets, it makes sense to gather flowers in Amsterdam before trucking them to Britain or Russia.

And for growers in Kenya or Ethiopia, for example, being among FloraHolland’s 4,600 members helps maintain stable prices in the face of powerful buyers such as Europe’s top supermarket chains.

Some 50 per cent of Kenya’s flower exports are sold via FloraHolland, and 70-80 per cent of Ethiopia’s.

But being members also means they must commit to sell all of their output via FloraHolland and that can be a handicap when trying to reach Chinese or Indian markets.

Vos said FloraHolland plans to open logistics sites overseas, either near growers in Europe or Africa or near Asian buyers, to preserve the company’s central role in a more devolved global flower trade.

At stake is the Netherlands’ dominance in the global flower trade, which is slipping.

The Netherlands exported 52 per cent of the world’s cut flowers in 2013, down from 58 per cent in 2003, according to Rabobank.

— Thomas Escritt is a senior Reuters correspondent based in Amsterdam.

The post African growers threaten Dutch flower power appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The researchers from the University of Edinburgh found that cows are protected from a parasite that causes a deadly disease called East Coast fever, if they have previously been infected with a closely-related but milder species of the parasite.

This discovery, they said, suggests that “fighting fire with fire” is a strategy that might work against a range of parasitic diseases, including severe malarial infection in people.

“Our results suggest seeking a simple vaccine that could protect cows from East Coast fever by inoculating them with a related but far less harmful parasite,” said Mark Woolhouse, who led the study with a team from several other universities and the International Livestock Research Institute.

“A similar process might be at work in malaria, where infection with the less harmful Plasmodium vivax parasite may protect people from the Plasmodium falciparum parasite.”

Like the cattle disease East Coast fever, malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite, Plasmodium, although more than one species of Plasmodium can cause the disease.

The deadliest species is Plasmodium falciparum, the most common in Africa and the cause of the vast majority of the world’s 600,000 malaria deaths a year. Plasmodium vivax is more common in Asia and more widespread but causes a less serious illness.

For their study, Woolhouse’s team tracked the health of 500 Kenyan calves from birth to one year old, building up data on the cattle’s survival, growth, health and infections with viruses, bacteria, worms and tick-borne parasites.

They found that deaths caused by East Coast fever, the biggest killer of East African cattle, dropped 89 per cent among calves which were also infected with other species of parasite that do not cause disease.

Something similar may occur when people are infected with the more deadly parasite P. falciparum at the same time as the less aggressive P. vivax, making them more likely to survive the disease.

“A better understanding of how this milder parasite may protect against the more lethal form of the disease could generate new approaches to reducing severe illness and deaths from malaria,” Woolhouse said.

— Kate Kelland is Reuters’ health and science correspondent in London, England.

The post Cattle parasite study points to possible way to fight malaria appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“We’re hoping for 60 to 70 animals to be donated,” said Arnie Tenbrinke, one of the event’s organizers. “This year we’re also stepping things up a bit by offering a free lunch.”

The lunch, Tenbrinke is quick to point out is donated, as is everything at the April 22 event, held at the Vold, Jones and Vold Auction Company facility. Along with the donated dairy and beef cattle — ranging from heifers to cull cows — individuals and companies donate hay, semen, tickets to sporting events, and many other items. Every penny raised goes to the Foodgrains Bank.

“We usually raise about $60,000 to $70,000,” said Tenbrinke. “And the government matches what we raise four to one, so that’s what gets me really excited.”

Foodgrains Bank, which operates in nearly 50 countries, has very low administrative costs, with 97 cents out of every donated dollar going directly into on-the-ground projects, he added.

Wendy and John Taekema, who also help organize the auction, got to see some of those projects after travelling (at their own expense) to Rwanda and Kenya in 2012.

“John and I wanted to go to Africa to see firsthand how things were done there,” said Wendy Taekema. “It’s amazing what they can do with the resources they have.”

In Kenya, the couple saw a food-for-work project to create a type of dugout called a water pan, which collects rainwater during the infrequent rains in the parched country.

“What’s really good is that the projects are chosen by the community — because the residents know what they need,” she said.

A story about their trip can be found by going to www.foodgrainsbank.ca and typing ‘Taekema in the search box.

For more information or to make a donation, call Arnie Tenbrinke (403-318-7503), Larry Henderson (403-782-5218), Peter Doornenbal (403-783-2947), or the Taekemas (780-986-2199).

The post Ponoka fundraising auction making a difference appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.