Like the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI), requests by SAF and CAD attendees for the continued publication of the Floriculture Crops Report have made significant progress in Congress.
SAF members who attended CAD this year asked their members of Congress to fund publication of the Floriculture Crops Report. Those requests were extremely well-received. Subsequent discussions SAF has had with congressional offices and committees as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have also gone very well.
The Floriculture Crops Report is produced by the USDA and is the only source of annual data on bedding and garden plants, potted herbaceous perennials, potted flowering plants for indoor and patio use, foliage plants for indoor or patio use, cut flowers, cut cultivated greens, and propagative floriculture materials.
USDA decided it could not publish the floriculture report in 2016 and 2017 because of budget constraints.
SAF members visited their members of Congress during CAD, informed them of the importance of the report to the floriculture industry, and urged them to designate funding for the continued publication of the report in 2019.
SAF is extremely pleased that the American Society for Horticultural Science, AmericanHort, the California Association of Flower Growers & Shippers, the California Cut Flower Commission, the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, and the Produce Marketing Association, support the effort to continue the publication of the report.
