Greenhouse, sod and nursery industries, 2023

Released: 2024-04-25

In 2023, total sales of the greenhouse, nursery, field-grown cut flowers and sod industries rose 6.0% to $5.5 billion. Greenhouse product sales rose 6.7% to $4.5 billion, accounting for 82.8% of total sales.

Chart 1 
Sales of greenhouse, nursery and sod products

Sales of greenhouse fruits and vegetables up for the 11th consecutive year

Total sales of greenhouse fruits and vegetables increased for the 11th consecutive year in 2023, up 9.2% to $2.5 billion.

The increase in sales in 2023 was attributable to higher production of peppers (9.3%), tomatoes (9.3%) and cucumbers (8.3%), which accounted for the majority (92.1%) of total greenhouse fruit and vegetable sales. Greenhouse strawberry sales rose by almost one-third (+29.0%) to $64.6 million because of higher prices (+2.7%) and production (+25.7%).

Ontario accounted for just over two-thirds (67.5%) of greenhouse fruit and vegetable sales in 2023, followed by British Columbia (14.9%), Quebec (10.9%) and Alberta (5.9%).

Greenhouse flower and plant sales rise

Greenhouse flower and plant sales and resales rose 3.9% compared with the previous year to $2.1 billion in 2023.

Although greenhouse cutting sales (+1.0% to $62.5 million) were well above the five-year average of $56.9 million in 2023, they were relatively stable compared with 2022.

Indoor and outdoor potted plant sales increased 2.4% to $1.2 billion in 2023. Vegetable bedding plant sales rose 5.7% to $202.6 million, and ornamental bedding plant sales grew 1.7% to $216.5 million.

Nursery sales up despite lower area and production

Despite a decline in production (-4.1%), sales of nursery products increased 2.0% to $749.6 million in 2023. Total nursery area decreased 1.9% to 15 334 hectares.

Production of field-grown nursery plants decreased 2.6% in 2023. Container-grown nursery plant production (-5.9%) also fell, as a result of fewer container-grown deciduous shrubs (-20.3%) and container-grown ornamental or shade trees (-19.5%).

Nursery resales climbed by 7.0% in 2023, contributing to the overall rise in sales.

Operating expenses and labour needs continue to rise

Greenhouse operating expenses were up 6.0% to $3.8 billion in 2023, driven by higher expenditures, including those related to electricity (+10.1%), payroll (+7.6%) and natural gas (+6.8%).

Greenhouse operators employed 37,690 people in 2023, up 1.4% from a year earlier. The number of permanent employees rose 5.3% to 17,982, while seasonal employees decreased 2.0% to 19,708.

The nursery sector employed 8,702 people in 2023, down 1.1% from the previous year, with declines in permanent (-0.5%) and seasonal (-1.4%) employees.

Sod sales edge up

Total sod area edged up 0.5% to 21 207 hectares in 2023. Total sod sales increased 6.8% to $162.5 million, while expenses rose 3.6% to $127.9 million.

Glass and rigid plastic greenhouse area rises, while polyfilm area falls

Total greenhouse area grew 1.9% to 31.8 million square metres in 2023. Ontario accounted for just under two-thirds (63.1%) of the total greenhouse area in Canada, compared with 18.6% in British Columbia, 10.7% in Quebec and 4.5% in Alberta.

In 2023, total area under glass (+6.2%) and rigid plastic (+7.3%) increased, while area under polyfilm declined 2.5% to 15.0 million square metres.

Contact information

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