New York floriculture production ranked fifth in the nation for total commercial sales in 2003, according to USDA's New York Agricultural Statistics Service. Value of sales increased from a year earlier for bedding and garden plants, propagative materials, and foliage for indoor or patio use. The overall value of commercial sales increased 5 percent to $196 million. Bedding and garden plants continued to be the highest component of the total value of sales increasing 8 percent from 2002 to $107 million. Potted flowering plants were second with a value of sales of $45.5 million, a decrease of 5 percent. Propagative materials ranked third at $8.97 million, an increase of 67 percent.

The number of commercial growers decreased for the sixth consecutive year. During 2003, there were 875 growers. The open ground area used to produce floriculture crops in the state was down approximately 1 percent. Greenhouse space for operators exceeding the $10,000 sales level increased 4 percent to total 24.2 million square feet in 2003. This increase pushed the total covered area (greenhouse plus shade and temporary structures) up to 24.9 million square feet, 4 percent more than 2002.

Additional details are available in "The Floriculture Crop Summary - 2003", released on April 27, 2004. It is available on the Internet at http://www.usda.gov/nass or by calling this office at the number listed above.