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Veg sector leads 2010 industry sales growth

May 9, 2011  By Dave Harrison


NEWS HIGHLIGHT

Veg sector leads 2010 industry sales growth
Sales of greenhouse products in Canada rose three
per cent to nearly $ 2.5 billion in 2010, the second consecutive annual
increase after a decline in 2008, according to Statistics Canada.

May 9, 2011, Ottawa — Sales of greenhouse products in Canada rose three per cent to nearly $2.5 billion in 2010, the second consecutive annual increase after a decline in 2008, according to Statistics Canada.

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The increase in 2010 was mostly the result of a 10 per cent gain in sales of greenhouse vegetables and fruits, which surpassed one billion dollars ($1.1 billion) for the first time.

Sales and resales of flowers and plants fell 1.8 per cent to just under $1.4 billion in 2010, while sales of nursery products rose 1.2 per cent to $644 million.

Canada had 3,285 greenhouse operations in 2010, down from 3,335 in 2009. However, total greenhouse area increased from about 22.4 million square metres to nearly 22.9 million square metres. Most of this expansion was in greenhouse vegetable production.

Greenhouse vegetable producers, who are less sensitive to weather conditions than field vegetable producers, continued their expansion. For a fourth consecutive year, the value of greenhouse vegetable sales exceeded sales of field vegetables (including potatoes).

Growers in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec accounted for 95.4 per cent of greenhouse vegetable and fruit sales in 2010. Ontario alone represented 60.9 per cent.

Sales of tomatoes, the most valuable crop, rose 10.9 per cent to $509 million. Sales of peppers increased 14.9 per cent to $270 million, while sales of cucumbers were up 3.1 per cent to $254 million.

Sales and resales of greenhouse flowers and plants amounted to $1.4 billion in 2010, down 1.8 per cent from 2009. The main factor in the decline was a 17 per cent drop in the resale of flowers and plants.

On the other hand, sales of grown flowers and plants increased, especially potted plants (+4.7 per cent) and vegetable bedding plants for transplanting (+4.7 per cent). Floriculture represented 56 per cent of total greenhouse product sales in 2010.

The expansion of total greenhouse area was accompanied by a 2.9 per cent increase in total operating expenses. Labour costs, which rose 8.4 per cent to $604 million, accounted for more than one-quarter of total expenses. The total number of seasonal and permanent greenhouse workers fell 1.5 per cent to 36,915.

On the nursery side, total area remained stable at about 20,000 hectares. Costs for nursery operators grew 2.3 per cent to $577 million in 2010. Of this total, labour costs accounted for almost 40 per cent. Nurseries employed 14,400 people, nearly three-quarters of whom were seasonal employees.

The 2010 issue of Greenhouse, Sod and Nursery Industries (22-202-X, free) is now available from the Key resource module of the Statistics Canada website under Publications.


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