Wholesale value of floriculture sinks 4 percent

The 2006 wholesale value of floriculture crops was down 4 percent from the revised 2005 value. That’s on the heels of a 1-percent increase in 2005 and a 2-percent decline in 2004. The industry data were released this summer in the USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service Floriculture Crops Summary.

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For 2006, USDA surveyed only 15 states, compared to previous years in which qualifying growers in the 36 top-producing states were surveyed. Total crop value for the 36-state survey in 2005 was $5.36 billion; the 15-state value was 77 percent of the larger 36-state total.

Total crop value at wholesale for growers with $10,000 or more in sales was estimated at $4 billion for 2006, compared with $4.15 billion for 2005.

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Top states

California is again the leading state with crops valued at $1.02 billion, nearly identical to the previous year. Florida , the next largest producer, is down 16 percent with $800 million in wholesale value. These two states account for 37 percent of the total value. These two states account for 46 percent of the 15-state total value.

Rounding out the top five states are Michigan , Texas and New York . These five states account for $2.67 billion or 67 percent of the total.

Total wholesale value of floriculture crops grown by operations exceeding $100,000 in sales is $3.83 billion, down 3 percent. These operations account for 96 percent of the total value of floriculture crops, but make up only 46 percent of all growers.

The big 5

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Crop by crop

Bedding plants. At $1.79 billion, bedding plants are the largest contributor to the value of production, although down slightly from the previous year. This segment represents 47 percent of the value of all crops. California , Michigan , Texas , Florida and North Carolina are the top five states and account for 57 percent of the total bedding value. North Carolina replaced Ohio as No. 5 in bedding plants last year.

The number of growers producing bedding and garden plants was 1,805, down 5 percent from 2005.

The value of bedding and garden flats is down 3 percent to $540 million. Flats represent 30 percent of the total value for bedding plants.

With the exception of begonias, cutting geraniums and New Guinea impatiens, the values of all categories of plants grown in flats were down.

Flowering hanging baskets. Hanging baskets account for $188 million, up 5 percent from 2005.

Perennials. Herbaceous perennials, valued at $507 million, were 3 percent above the previous year value. These crops account for 28 percent of the bedding category.

Potted flowering plants. At $620 million, the value was down 3 percent. California accounts for 33 percent of the category’s total value. Poinsettia value, which adds $169 million to this category, was virtually unchanged from 2005. The value of orchids is $123 million, down 9 percent.

Foliage. Florida continues to dominate this category with 68 percent of the value. Foliage production was valued at $543 million, down 19 percent. Potted foliage plants represent 89 percent of the total value; the remainder is from hanging baskets.

Cut flowers. At $411 million, this segment was up 4 percent. California ’s value is $316 million, 77 percent of the total in the 15 surveyed states. The number of producers dropped 5 percent to 388

Cut greens. At $109 million, cut florist greens were up 2 percent. Florida ’s value, at $79.4 million, represents 73 percent of the total. Value of leatherleaf ferns, at $50.2 million, is up 6 percent. Other cut greens value is down 2 percent. The number of growers for 2006, at 196, increased by nine from the previous year.

Propagation material. Value of sales of material for cut flowers, potted flowering plants, annual bedding plants, herbaceous perennials, foliage and cut greens was $363 million, slightly less than the previous year. The three leading states -- Florida , Michigan and California -- make up 66 percent of the total.

Other trends

Number of growers. The number of growers, at 6,546, is down 9 percent compared with the revised 2005 count of 7,178. The number of growers with sales of $100,000 or more dropped 5 percent to 2,991.

Production area. Total covered area for floriculture crop production was 762 million square feet, 5 percent less than the revised 2005 estimate.

* Greenhouse space, at 415 million square feet, is down 3 percent. This accounts for 54 percent of the total covered area.

* Shade and temporary cover constitute the remaining 347 million square feet of covered area, down 6 percent from 2005.

* Open-field use totaled 32,212 acres, down 9 percent.

Employment. The average number of workers employed in floriculture operations in 2006 was 18.1, up from 16.9 in 2005. A total of 4,949 operations hired workers during 2006, compared with 5,494 a year earlier. Overall, 76 percent of the operations used some hired labor during 2006 compared to 77 percent in 2005.

For more: National Agricultural Statistics Service, (800) 999-6779; www.usda.gov/nass.

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