As U.S. floriculture producers see sales drop dramatically year over year due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Society of American Florists is actively working with Congress and the USDA to secure access to grower aid.
Congress allocated $9.5 billion to the USDA in the Coronavirus Stimulus Package put into law on March 27 to support specialty crops, livestock, dairy and producers supplying to local markets.
In the past week, SAF has led advocacy efforts both with USDA and on the Hill to gain support for the idea that floriculture should receive a portion of the $9.5 billion. A letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sunny Perdue coordinated by SAF and signed by SAF, the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, CalFlowers, Certified American Grown Flowers, and the Produce Marketing Association said in part:
“We estimate the economic impact of COVID-19 on domestic cut flower and greenery growers to be nearly $200 million for February through May. For the flowering potted and bedding plants (annuals), we estimate the impact to be more than $330 million. Both cut flowers and flowering potted/bedding plants are highly perishable and if not sold within the window for which they are produced, they are thrown in the compost. While the impacts differ based on geography, we believe a conservative estimate of about 60 percent of the floriculture crops described above have been disposed of. Furthermore, without the revenue from February and March, growers are unable to plant and pay employees for the next crop cycle. The industry is at a pivotal point in its long history in the U.S. and without rapid and significant support, it will likely collapse.
The floriculture industry is aware of the many challenges facing the public and the broader agricultural community during this unprecedented threat. We have not sought support during the trade negotiations with China, despite our reliance on some inputs from there, and the vast majority of growers rely on private crop insurance. However, COVID-19 has brought an existential threat the likes of which the industry has never seen.
We ask that you evaluate the various authorities USDA has at its disposal including the Commodity Credit Corporation, which the undersigned organizations advocated additional funding for in the COVID III emergency supplemental bill (see attached) – or through the $9.5 Billion provided to USDA to support agricultural producers impacted by COVID-19.”
Earlier this week, SAF also worked with Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-California) to circulate a “Dear Colleague” letter among members of Congress in support of floriculture receiving USDA aid that was then sent to Secretary Purdue. Thirteen members of Congress, including the co-chairs of the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus, signed the letter.
“We are in unprecedented times that are bringing challenges to the industry that we’ve never absorbed before at the rate at which they have been felt,” said Joe Bischoff, Ph.D., SAF’s senior lobbyist. “Because of that, we’re pursuing direct assistance from USDA. A lot of food-related crops have received support from USDA in the past in times such as natural disasters, but it has never been done for floriculture before. Working closely with USDA, we’re making the case that domestic floriculture production needs to be supported to overcome this existential threat.”
Bischoff notes that SAF anticipates USDA will determine which products will receive a portion of the aid in the coming weeks.
Katie Butler is the senior vice president of the Society of American Florists.
