Data from area to value of US ornamental production

The USDA released a report that presents data on floriculture crops, including cut flowers, potted flowering plants, foliage plants, potted herbaceous perennials, annual bedding/garden plants, cut cultivated greens, propagative floriculture material and special Hawaiian crops. The data in the report includes quantity sold, percent of sales at wholesale, wholesale price and value of sales of sales at wholesalers. Besides that, also a number of growers, growing area and operations with hired workers.

Below are the highlights of the report:

Value of All Production: The 2015 wholesale value of floriculture crops is up 4 percent from the revised 2014 valuation. The total crop value at wholesale for the 15 State program for all growers with $10,000 or more in sales is estimated at $4.37 billion for 2015, compared with $4.20 billion for 2014. California continues to be the leading State with crops valued at $1.08 billion, up 1 percent from the 2014 value. Florida, the next largest producer, is up 12 percent from the prior year to $1.03 in wholesale value. These two States account for 49 percent of the 15 State total value. For 2015, the top 5 States are California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio which account for $3.00 billion or 69 percent of the 15 State program total value.

Number of Producers: The number of producers for 2015, at 5,913, is up 5 percent in the 15 States compared with the 2014 count of 5,606.

Area Used for Production: In the 15 State program, total covered area for floriculture crop production was 767 million square feet, down slightly from the revised 2014 figure. Greenhouse space for 2015, at 409 million square feet, is down 6 percent from 2014. This accounts for 53 percent of the total covered area. Shade and temporary cover is up 8 percent, to 358 million square feet. Open ground totaled 40,042 acres, down 34 percent from the revised 2014 total.

Peak Hired Workers: The average peak number of hired workers employed on operations in the 15 State program in 2015 is 18.3, down 12 percent from a revised average of 20.8 peak workers in 2014. A total of 4,407 operations hired workers during 2015 compared with 4,202 a year earlier. Overall, 75 percent of operations used some hired labor during 2015, down slightly from 2014.