Floriculture

WHAT IS FLORICULTURE?

Floriculture is the growing of cut flowers, potted flowering and foliage plants, and bedding plants in greenhouses and/or in fields. There are several thousand different species of flowers and plants that are grown as commercial crops. Cut flowers include such crops as roses, freesia, alstromeria and snapdragons. Some of the favourite flowering potted plants that are available year-round are African violets, orchids, cyclamen and potmums (potted Chrysanthemums). Some seasonal flowering plants are an important part of our traditions, for example, poinsettias for Christmas and Easter lilies for Easter. Tropical plants are generally available year-round and include such genera as dieffenbachia, ficus and philodendron. Bedding plants include geraniums, impatiens, lobelias, marigolds and pansies. Freshness and diversity are hallmarks of BC floriculture.

WHERE ARE FLORICULTURE PRODUCTS PRODUCED IN BC?

Growers are located throughout the Province, but production is concentrated in the lower Fraser Valley region in the south-western portion of the Province. Approximately 90% of the floriculture operations are located within two hours drive of Vancouver. Other important production areas are Vancouver island and some of the southern interior valleys.

HOW MUCH DO WE PRODUCE?

There are about 350 to 400 growers in the province and most are family operated. In 1995, there were about 93 hectares in greenhouse crops and 100 hectares in field-grown crops. Greenhouses range in size from several hundred square metres to over 100,000 square metres. The average size is 8,000 to 10,000 square metres. Statistics Canada estimates that in 1995, farm-gate sales were $151 million.

HOW ARE FLORICULTURE PRODUCTS PRODUCED?

Growers who produce crops year-round rely on greenhouses to protect their crops from our northern environment. Production is based on a high degree of technology and capital investment. The average sized greenhouse is close to a hectare in size and could cost up to $200 per square metre to build or about $2 million in capital expenditure. Central to greenhouses of this size is systems optimizations which includes such features as computer systems to monitor and regulate the growing environment to ensure high quality product, rolling tables to increase useable production area, supplemental lighting to offset our low winter light levels and mechanization to reduce labour costs. Re-using irrigation water is becoming a common practice in many greenhouses. Even with state-of-the-art production systems, new operations can be obsolete within five years.

Floriculture also involves a considerable amount of production that is not greenhouse based, such as field-grown specialty cut flowers. It includes such products as daffodils, tulips, gladiolus, snapdragons, asters and holly. Most of the production occurs during the frost-free months of the year. Without greenhouses to protect them, field-grown cut flowers are at the mercy of the weather. A late spring or summer delays planting, while a hot summer increases production levels that in turn, causes prices to fall. Growers manipulate or extend the natural growing season by staggered plantings, using temporary cover structures, and other cultural strategies. Some of the more innovative growers chill plant crowns in coolers to extend the "normal" flowering season.

WHAT DO FLORICULTURE PRODUCTS LOOK LIKE WHEN I USE THEM?

Flowers play an essential role in people's celebrations and every day lives. Weddings, graduations, funerals, Mother's Day, St. Valentine's Day, Easter and Christmas are all peak periods of demand for flowers and plants. Cut flowers are combined into elaborate arrangements and bouquets, or several stems are packaged together for impulse cash-and-carry purchases. Flowering and foliage plants are combined together in baskets or planters, or sold individually with pot covers and sleeves to accent their beauty.

Cut flowers, potted plants and bedding plants are available at florists, supermarkets, corner grocery stores, mass-market outlets and garden centers. More people are buying flowers at their supermarket as part of their weekly grocery shopping. Another shift in marketing is the move towards more direct farm marketing. Several growers have retail outlets on the farm where you can buy products such as longstem roses, potted orchids and bedding plants.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER IT LEAVES THE FARM?

There are two main marketing options available to BC growers. The first is the more traditional North American method of selling product direct to outlets such as wholesalers, florists and garden centres. The second is to sell the product through the United Flower Growers (UFG). The UFG handles approximately thirty or forty percent of the farm gate sales. It is a unique method of selling floriculture products. Sales are done via two reverse style Dutch clocks. Prices start above the expected selling price and fall until the first buyer stops the swing of the clock arm and buys the product. It is a fast, efficient selling method, with over fifteen hundred sales transactions per hour. Prices vary daily depending upon supply and demand, so selling the product becomes a daily gamble. The Burnaby based auction continues to be the biggest floral auction in North America. The UFG has benefited both BC growers and their customers. It has allowed growers to specialize, leading to improved quality and decreased costs of production. For the customers, it provides one-stop shopping that features a diverse range of fresh product.

Most product is sold to consumers within the Lower Mainland area of the Province. Approximately 25% is exported out of the Province to other areas across North America. Other Pacific rim countries represent an important growth area for export sales. High quality and consistent standards are important components in market penetration and export sales.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO FLORICULTURE PRODUCERS FACE?

Growers face many challenges including:

Declining margins - While prices have remained steady over the past several years, most input costs have risen steadily. To remain profitable, growers have had to become more efficient in production and management.

Environment - Environmental issues are a major concern for growers. Growers have responded by re-using irrigation water, reducing pesticide and fertilizer use and reducing greenhouse runoff.

Pest control - Concerns over pesticide use by the public and producers alike, along with pesticide resistance and the loss of approved pesticides, have prompted growers to adopt alternative pest control methods. Integrated pest management (IPM) is playing a larger role in greenhouse pest control. Many growers are now using biological or bio-rational control methods to supplement or replace existing pesticides.

Employment - Labour is an important element in production. Bedding plant and cut flower growers face labour costs of up to one third of gross sales. Although increased mechanization is a necessary element of global competition, the industry continues to be a major agricultural employer.

Urban-rural conflicts - Urban-rural conflicts are a fact of life for most agriculture in the Province. some municipalities look upon floriculture as more of a factory production industry rather than agriculture. Most municipalities have zoning regulations concerning the maximum site coverage for greenhouses.

Capital costs - Modern, state-of-the-art greenhouse operations can cost up to $200 per square metre. This represents a barrier to entry for many potential growers. Field-grown cut flowers and bedding plant production have much lower capital costs, so they are often entry level crops.

Seasonal demand - The demand for fresh floriculture products is seasonal and the product is very perishable. Large numbers of people want to buy flowers for special occasions or holidays like St. Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and Christmas. Growers must time their production to meet these periods of high demand. Some growers have 30% of their annual sales in a three week period in spring.

WHO'S INVOLVED IN PRODUCING FLORICULTURE PRODUCTS?

• Growers
• Greenhouse and field employees
• Wholesalers
• Florists
• Garden centres
• Supermarkets
• Corner stores
• Mass-market outlets
• Retail clerks

Interesting Fact About Floriculture:

Some of our important floriculture crops originate as weeds in other parts of the world. For example, gerberas (Transvaal Daisies) in South Africa and eustoma (Prairie Gentian) in Texas. Some countries grow dandelions commercially as a salad crop. Floriculture is a world-wide industry: the flowers you buy today could have been picked in South America, Europe or Israel two days ago. To compete with imports, local growers must be able to provide a fresh, high quality product for less money.

Contacts and other resources:

 

BCMAFF - Ornamental Information

Flowers Canada

InfoBasket: Your Portal to Agri-Food Information on the Internet

United Flower Growers Co-op Association