The Flower Industry Australia chief executive, Anna Jabour, estimates that, pre-Covid, 10m red roses were imported into Australia every Valentine’s Day. This year, however, she says, things are different.
“What I’ve heard from every rose grower I’ve spoken to is that they’re run off their feet,” she says. “It’s really brilliant to hear.”
When contacted by Guardian Australia, a rose grower and florist in the Sydney suburb of Dural said: “We are flat out doing orders for Valentine’s Day.”
However Jabour says “the impact of Covid on the local growers industry is different for everyone”.