Also...
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The story among potted annuals is not much better. Potted
bedding/garden plants accounted for 26.1% of the segment?s sales in
2003. Though unit sales of potted annuals in 2003 were up 1.2% from
the 2002 figure (Figure 12), sales still lagged the totals from 1998
and 1999. Dollar sales, which rose for the third consecutive year,
were up 4.4% in 2003, reflecting the increased value associated with
larger pots; yet, these sales also still lagged the 1998 and 1999
dollar totals. Sales of pots of begonias, seed geraniums and marigolds
were down in both units and dollars. Sales of pots of vegetative
geraniums and New Guinea impatiens were both down in units but up in
dollars. And sales of pots of Impatiens wallerana, pansies/violas,
petunias, ?all other flowering bedding plants,? and potted vegetables
were up in both units and dollars.
Data for sales of flowering hanging baskets provide a brighter
highlight; these sales accounted for 10.1% of the bedding/garden plant
segment?s 2003 sales. Unit sales of hanging baskets increased 1.5%
from 2002 to 2003, continuing a general trend (Figure 13), and dollar
volume increased an even greater 2.5% over the period. Though hanging
basket sales of New Guinea impatiens, Impatiens wallerana and
marigolds were all down in both units and dollars, sales of begonias,
vegetative geraniums, seed geraniums, pansies/violas and petunias all
increased in both units and dollars. Sales of ?all other flowering
hanging baskets? declined 1.8% in units but increased 2.7% in dollar
volume.
Among all annual bedding/garden plant crops, whether produced in
flats, pots or hanging baskets, the sales ranking of top crops has
totally been rewritten in the last year, due in part to the widely
varied sales trends from 2002 to 2003. Vegetative geranium sales
increased (3.8%), as did petunias (up 0.4%), ?all other flowering
bedding plants? (up 3.8%) and vegetables (up 0.8%). Sales of seed
geraniums dropped 7.9%, a larger drop than for any other crop. Sales
of begonias (down 0.2%), Impatiens wallerana (down 6.9%), New Guinea
impatiens (down 2.7%) and pansies/violas (down 0.9%) also dropped. As
a result, the sales ranking of top flowering annuals has been
rewritten to include vegetative geraniums (8.9% of the sales of all
annuals), pansies and violas (8.6%), Impatiens wallerana (8.5%) and
petunias (8.2%) in the top four places of separately enumerated annual
crops (Figures 14 and 15).
The perennial story presents another trend of some concern. Total
perennial dollars, which represented 25.5% of total bedding/garden
plant dollars in both 2002 and 2003, increased 1.2% to $619.5 million
in 2003; again, this growth did not match inflation. Garden mum sales
increased 5.9% in units but only 5.2% in dollars. Similarly, hosta
sales increased 8.7% in units but only 6.7% in dollars. Yet, the sales
of all other perennials, which accounted for 69.6% of all perennial
units and 73.4% of the sales dollars, dropped 7.3% in units and 0.3%
in dollars. Overall, unit numbers fell 3.6% from 2002 to 2003 to 262.4
million pots. This, at least, suggests that the average per pot price
increased some $0.11 or 4.9%, to $2.36 across all pot sizes. In light
of other industry trends, these data might be considered good for
those 2,518 large firms still producing perennials (down from 2,612
firms reporting perennial production in 2002). Yet, the overriding
trend of fewer perennial units being sold in 2003 cannot be ignored.
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More really good info at...
http://www.growertalks.com/archive/articles/1118.asp
Regards,
MiniM |
