Production is estimated at 25 million stems annually, all under glass. Computers are used to control temperature, shading, and carbon dioxide levels. By some estimates, technological advances and new varieties have increased yields to the point where only 25 hectares of glasshouses are utilized for anthurium production, down from 75 hectares 20 years ago. Production is highest in May-October because of higher light intensity during these months. Orange and red are the most commonly grown colors, followed by white and pink.
Dutch growers hybridize anthuriums for disease resistance, new colors, and productivity.
Productivity of flowers per plant, for example, has doubled in the last 10 years. As with other flowers, such as roses and carnations, the Dutch propagate anthurium material in tissue culture laboratories and export the plants for production in other countries around the world. Anthurium experts from the Netherlands are sought after by countries and companies seeking to develop this product, with the result that Dutch growers now must compete against their own products, foreign-grown with cheaper labor and production costs. The most important market for Dutch anthuriums is western Europe, although product is also shipped to all the major Asian markets, including Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Germany is the biggest importer of anthurium from the Netherlands, followed by Italy and France.