Australians bought more crops than ever before last year, with the country spending $ 2.6 billion on more than 2 billion crops.
Key points:
- The horticultural industry employs more than 23,000 people in more than 1,600 businesses
- Sales from production nurseries to garden retail centers grew 10 percent last year
- A separate trend report indicates respondents intend to continue growing indoor and self-edible plants
People trapped at home in 2020 during the first wave of COVID-19 curbs accounted for the majority of growth, unsurprisingly, with sales of indoor plants up nine percent.
After Joining toilet paper and pasta in the panic buying list at the start of the pandemic, sales of herbs and vegetables jumped 27 percent.
More broadly, sales from production nurseries to retail garden centers grew 10 percent, according to new figures from the Nursery Industry Statistics survey.
Overall, the report found a $ 200 million increase in sales in the 2019-20 financial year.
The total expenditure of $ 2.6 billion on electricity generation also includes government projects and public works.
With many Australians expected to continue working from home in some capacity over the next few years, this trend is not expected to change any time soon.
A separate recent trend report by Plant Life Balance shows an extraordinary percentage of survey respondents intending to continue growing their own indoor and edible plants into 2021 and beyond.
The plant industry is sure of its future
Provided: Neva Hosking
)Data from Greenlife, compiled after interviewing nearly 300 production nurseries, show it wasn’t just COVID-19 restrictions sending more people into their gardens driving the explosion.
Strong global and local demand for horticulture means three consecutive years of growth mainly in trees, perennials and shrubs.
Greenlife Industry Australia chief executive Peter Vaughan said despite drought, water restrictions, fires and typhoons, the industry was already on an upward trajectory with three consecutive years of growth.
Mr Vaughan lauded the production nurseries’ ability to meet demand, and said the findings demonstrated the importance of industry to the agricultural sector and the broader national economy.
The Australian horticulture industry employs more than 23,000 people in Australia in more than 1,600 businesses.