Greenhouse, sod and nursery industries

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Sales of greenhouse products in Canada rose 3.0% to nearly $2.5 billion in 2010, the second consecutive annual increase after a decline in 2008.

The increase in 2010 was mostly the result of a 10.0% 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% to just under $1.4 billion in 2010, while sales of nursery products rose 1.2% 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% of greenhouse vegetable and fruit sales in 2010. Ontario alone represented 60.9%.

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

Sales and resales of greenhouse flowers and plants amounted to $1.4 billion in 2010, down 1.8% from 2009. The main factor in the decline was a 17.0% drop in the resale of flowers and plants.

On the other hand, sales of grown flowers and plants increased, especially potted plants (+4.7%) and vegetable bedding plants for transplanting (+4.7%). Floriculture represented 56.0% of total greenhouse product sales in 2010.

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

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

In 2010, total area for sod rose 4.4% to 24,123 hectares, while sod sales rose 2.4% to $147 million.

Available on CANSIM: tables 001-0006 and 001-0046 to 001-0061.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3416.

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

For more information, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-800-465-1991; agriculture@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Rita Athwal (613-951-5022; rita.athwal@statcan.gc.ca), Agriculture Division.