Isle floriculture sales near high
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Hawaii's floriculture and nursery products brought in an estimated $100.7 million last year, new state data indicates, a bright spot in the state's diversified agricultural sector.
Flowers and plants grown in Hawaii have plenty of potential to flourish, with last year's numbers holding steady at the $100 million mark -- close to the record of $101 million set in 2005.
Bedding and garden plants showed significant gains, along with plant rentals and other nursery products.
Cut flowers also performed well, along with potted flowering plants, registering a 1 percent gain over the previous year.
Orchid sales and landscape plant sales, meanwhile, remained steady, bringing in an estimated $22.2 million and $20.9 million respectively.
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There is a bright spot in Hawaii's agricultural economy, and it has taken root as a $100 million industry.
The state's floriculture and nursery products brought in an estimated $100.7 million last year, close to the previous year's record of $101 million.
Hawaii's floriculture and nursery products, which include cut flowers, lei flowers, orchids, foliage and potted flowering plants, continue to be the top contributor to diversified agriculture in the state, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office.
"There's still a strong demand for Hawaii-grown products because of the quality and unique brand that Hawaii brings," said Mark Hudson, director of the NASS Hawaii Field Office. "Many protea and others are recognized as top-notch products."
The statistics show an industry with plenty of growth potential, despite concerns over the impact of imports and the 42 days of nonstop rain that occurred last spring.
Last year, cut flowers totaled $14.1 million, up 1 percent over the previous year. Potted flowering plants valued at $6.4 million, also came in at 1 percent above 2005.
Of the cut flowers, anthuriums are top sellers, followed by proteas, red ginger, pink ginger and Chrysanthemums. Potted dendrobiums are the top seller in the orchid category, while potted palm sales peaked in the foliage category.
The biggest jump came in other nursery products, which went up 14 percent to $5.8 million last year. Bedding and garden plants registered a wholesale value of $3.3 million, 11 percent higher than in 2005, while plant rentals jumped 4 percent to $5.1 million over the prior year.
Cut and potted orchids remained steady at $22.2 million, nearly unchanged from last year. Landscape plants brought in an estimated $20.9 million, also relatively unchanged from last year.
However, lei flowers, pegged at $3.5 million, came in six percent lower than last year, and foliage sales, at $18.1 million, came in at seven percent less.
Hawaii County, with $51.9 million in sales, ranked No. 1 last year, followed by Honolulu, with $33.5 million in sales, Maui County, with $12.3 million in sales, and Kauai, with $2.9 million in sales.
