South Korea's traditional May peak for flower sales has vanished as imported carnations now dominate the Jeju city flower wholesale market [1, 2].
This shift signals a crisis for domestic growers who can no longer compete with foreign imports. The decline in local production threatens the viability of small-scale floral farming in the region.
May is typically regarded as the most significant period for the floral industry due to Family Month celebrations [1]. However, this seasonal surge has disappeared. Domestic growers are struggling with rising production costs and a general reduction in demand for carnations [1, 2].
At the Jeju wholesale market, the lack of local supply has forced a reliance on imports. Because domestic output has decreased due to management difficulties, the available stock of carnations is now entirely filled by imported varieties [1].
The impact is evident in the order volumes for Parents' Day. Last year, growers prepared 1,500 bunches of carnations for the holiday [1]. This year, that number dropped to 1,000 bunches [1].
"The month of May, the Family Month, is considered the biggest 'peak' for the flower industry, but that is now a thing of the past," Kim Ji-woo of KCTV Jeju Broadcasting said [1].
Growers face a compounding cycle where high costs lead to lower production, which in turn allows cheaper imports to seize the market share. This trend has turned a once-reliable annual windfall into a period of financial instability for local farmers [1, 2].
“Imported flowers now dominate the Jeju city flower wholesale market.”
The displacement of domestic carnations by imports reflects a broader economic struggle within South Korea's agricultural sector. When production costs exceed the market's willingness to pay for local goods, the resulting supply gap creates a permanent foothold for foreign competitors, making it difficult for domestic growers to recover even if costs stabilize.
