“Drought and heat destroy 20 per cent of Belgium’s begonia crop”

The ongoing drought and heat have already destroyed or severely damaged 20 per cent of Belgian growers’ begonias. This is according to Johan Aelterman from Heusden, one of the four remaining begonia growers in Belgium, all of whom are based in the region around Ghent. The floriculture federation confirms that this 20 per cent figure likely applies to the entire begonia sector, reports VRT.

The four growers are the only survivors of what was once a sector comprising 300 to 400 growers. They are all based in the region around Ghent and Lochristi. Aelterman normally grows 2.5 million begonias a year, together with his wife and brother. According to him, plants that have not been completely scorched have “fallen so far behind in their growth that they will no longer produce any tubers or yield any crop in the autumn”.