From Mississippi State University Ag Communications:
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippi’s horticulture industry is seeing an increase in business for the first time since Hurricane Katrina swept away a large chunk of the state’s infrastructure, inventory and markets.
“The nursery, greenhouse and landscape segments are looking up right now,” said Geoff Denny, horticulture specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “People are buying more of these horticulture products. We’re seeing an increased demand for trees, and we’ve actually got a deficit of trees right now.”
That is good news for an industry that took an even greater hit three years after the 2005 hurricane. When the housing market collapsed, the economic recession that followed caused consumers to tighten their discretionary spending.
The green industry is closely tied to the housing market, but it is actually more sensitive than the fluctuations of construction, Denny said.
“Landscaping is the first item that gets cut if your budget is tight when you’re building a house,” he said. “Sometimes people cut it out altogether, or they don’t plant as much, thinking they can come back later and complete it. Either way, a slight downturn in the housing market can have a much larger impact on the green industry.”
Haley Barrett, executive secretary and treasurer of the Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association, said consumers seem more comfortable opening their wallets again.
“This spring was good for a lot of our association members,” Barrett said. “People were eager to spruce up their landscapes and other outdoor areas after such a harsh winter. Our members were very pleased with both the Jackson and Biloxi Garden & Patio Shows this year.”
Membership continues to climb and is up over previous years, which is a great way to kick off the 50th anniversary of the association, she said.
Headquartered in Jackson, The Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association works in conjunction with MSU to train and educate green industry retailers and the public. The association also helps businesses expand their customer base and keep them informed of legislative activity that could affect the industry.
The trade that produces trees, shrubs, bedding plants, cut flowers, florist greenery and seasonal crops – such as Easter lilies and poinsettias – also includes landscape architects, contractors and maintenance companies. Horticulture was a rapidly growing segment of Mississippi’s agriculture industry in the early 2000s.
The nursery and greenhouse sectors alone had a total economic impact of about $748 million in 2002, according to MSU statistics.
In 2012, the production output value for just nursery and ornamental crops was estimated at $49.1 million, according to data gathered by MSU agricultural economists. This figure does not include the amount people spent on available products.
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