Insights From PMA’s State of the Floral Industry Report

By Greenhouse Grower staff|December 20, 2021

Shortages of fresh product and hard goods are expected to hurt the floral industry as supply strives to catch up to demand. These issues are not expected to be alleviated until 2023. The U.S. government, as well as private industry, are exploring lessons from COVID-19 to increase overall supply chain resiliency.

This was just one of the takeaways from the Produce Marketing Association’s new Floral State of the Industry report, which identifies the critical issues affecting the floral industry.

“The report highlights the underlying forces driving change in our industry so we can better understand the effects and develop strategies accordingly,” the report authors note. “Understanding trends allows us to better serve our customers and grow our businesses by prioritizing strategic issues, allocating resources, and leveraging emerging opportunities.”

Most U.S. flowers are imported from Colombia and Ecuador, with Colombia being the largest producer of cut flowers in the world. Many flowers are grown in high-altitude, industrial-scale greenhouses (for disease, pest, and humidity control). Flower farms can exceed 500 acres. In 2021 Colombia experienced colder nights and heavier annual rainfall which reduced the harvest. U.S. farms also faced weather-related problems. California, which is responsible for three-quarters of U.S. cut flower production, contended with historic droughts, unpredictable rain patterns, and wildfires.

The beginning of the pandemic caused growers worldwide to cut back between 15% and 40% of their planting because they didn’t have enough employees to tend to the flowers during the shutdown. Even as many people began to return to work, not all employees did, which is reducing floral supplies.