Total floriculture crop value is up, and Florida leads the way in production value, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2020 Floriculture Crops Summary released last week.
Among the findings of the report:
- The 2020 wholesale value of floriculture crops is up 9 percent from the 2019 valuation.
- Total crop value at wholesale for all growers with $10,000 or more in sales is estimated at $4.80 billion for 2020, compared with $4.42 billion for 2019.
- Florida is the leading state with crops valued at $1.14 billion, up 7 percent from the 2019 value.
The top five producing states are Florida, California, Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio – together these states account for 65 percent of the total value in the U.S.
While the number of producers for 2020 increased 14 percent from the 2019 count, the total covered area for floriculture crop production decreased slightly from 2019. A total of 4,310 operations hired workers during 2020 compared with 4,007 a year earlier. Overall, 73 percent of operations used some hired labor during 2020, down 4 percentage point from 2019.
The USDA report is the only source of annual data on annual bedding and garden plants, potted herbaceous perennials, potted flowering plants for indoor and patio use, foliage plants for indoor or patio use, cut flowers, cut cultivated greens, and propagative floriculture materials.
The report also highlights trends in domestic production and helps show year-to-year direction. In addition, it helps determine government agricultural policy as well as provide data for academic studies.
“The Floriculture Crops Summary provides reliable benchmarks to identify market trends and project sales opportunities, which is why SAF has always made the case to USDA and Congress to continue providing this important information,” says Katie Butler, SAF senior vice president. “As the primary source of industry data, the report is vital to show growth in the industry and provides valuable information for research.”
The USDA did not publish the report in 2016 and 2017 due to budget constraints, but resumed in 2018 after SAF initiated an advocacy campaign with lawmakers, which included highlighting the need for the report at 2018’s Congressional Action Days.
“It’s great to see SAF’s work to reinstate this valuable report is still paying off and providing floral retailers and growers with insights on market trends,” says SAF’s Senior Lobbyist Joe Bischoff.
Jennifer McNally is the interim editor of SAF NOW.
