US (CT): Senator Murphy calls to support local flowers

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, one of the busiest days of the year for Connecticut’s 1,700 flower nurseries and garden centers, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Monday to continue supporting the American floral and horticulture industry. In a letter to USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Young, Murphy emphasized that despite the robust size of America’s floricultural industry, the vast majority of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from overseas. Murphy urged USDA to feature American flowers at government events, launch public relations campaigns, and collect input from American growers to hear about the challenges they face.

In Connecticut, over 1,700 nurseries, landscapers, perennial growers, and landscape designers support 30,000 local jobs and more than $800 million in economic activity each year.

“I write to you today, as a new administration begins and farmers and greenhouse growers enter a busy Valentine’s Day season, to ask for your continued support of the American horticulture industry,” said Murphy. “In my home state of Connecticut…garden centers, landscapers, perennial growers, and landscape designers employ 30,000 people. [But] the vast majority of cut flowers are imported from countries such as the Netherlands, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ecuador, India, South Africa, Australia, Thailand, Kenya, and Israel, despite the presence of over 60,000 floral businesses nationwide. The practice of relying on foreign growers not only disadvantages American farmers and businesses, but it is expensive and resource-intensive. I hope you will continue to support buying American grown products and look forward to your response.”