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Source: USDA, 12/8/20 Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The data show that horticulture operations sold a total of $13.8 billion in floriculture, nursery and specialty crops in 2019, down fractionally from the sales in 2014. The number of horticulture operations in the United States decreased 11% during this time to 20,655.“First conducted in 1889, the horticulture census provides data on sectors for which there are no other comprehensive data sources,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “It is a valuable tool to highlight the contribution horticulture growers bring to our local, state, and national economies as well as changes in the industry over the past five years.”
Horticulture production occurred primarily in 10 states, which
accounted for 66% of all U.S. horticulture sales in 2019. California ($2.63
billion), Florida ($1.93 billion) and Oregon ($1.02 billion) led the nation in
sales. The top commodities in U.S. horticulture sales in 2019, and
compared to 2014, were:
- Nursery
stock, $4.55 billion, up 7%
- Annual
bedding/garden plants, $2.24 billion, down 13%
- Sod,
sprigs and plugs, $1.27 billion, up 12%
- Potted
flowering plants, $1.2 billion, up 11%
- Potted
herbaceous perennials, $923 million, down 2%
- Propagative
horticultural materials, bareroot, and unfinished plant materials, $720
million, up 4%
- Food
crops under protection, $703 million, down 12%
Other key findings from the 2019 Census of Horticultural
Specialties report include
- Family-
or individually-owned operations made up the largest number of operations,
accounting for 52%, but corporately-owned operations accounted for 75% of
sales ($10.3 billion).
- Total
industry expenses were up 6% since 2014, with labor being the largest
cost, accounting for 42% of total expenses in 2019.
The Census of Horticultural Specialties is part of the larger
Census of Agriculture program. It provides information on the number and types
of establishments engaged in horticultural production, value of sales,
varieties of products, production expenses and more. All operations that
reported producing and selling $10,000 or more of horticultural crops on the
2017 Census of Agriculture were included in this special study. For more information and to access the full report, visit www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. Editor’s note: Included in this press release is an updated map showing the correct ranking of states.
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