These make up nearly 40 per cent of all varieties exported from the country, said Haim Hadad, secretary of the Flower Growers' Association.

Hadad highlighted the tough competition with flowers from Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe 'where workers are paid $1 per day, making production costs in these countries negligible compared with the costs in Israel'.

He added that many growers are unable to pay back loans they have received for farm investments, calling for government to come to the aid of growers 'at this difficult stage, to enable them to remain in the business'.

Hadad concluded that despite heavy investment in flowers over recent years for modernising farms, and for research and development, without public assistance the cultivation of roses may come to an end. l

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