Greenhouse, sod and nursery industries, 2015
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Released: 2016-04-21
$1.5 billion
2015
3.6% 
(annual change)
$1.3 billion
2015
2.9%
(annual change)
$712.6 million
2015
3.5%
(annual change)
$167.0 million
2015
3.2%
(annual change)
The greenhouse, nursery and sod industries continued to expand as total sales increased 3.3% from 2014 to nearly $3.7 billion in 2015.
Greenhouse products accounted for 76.1% of all greenhouse, nursery and sod sales. Greenhouse flower and plant sales (including resales) increased 3.6% and sales of fruit and vegetable products were up 2.9%. Ornamental product sales (including greenhouse flowers and plants, nursery products and sod products) totalled $2.4 billion in 2015.
Chart 1
Sales of greenhouse, nursery and sod products
Total greenhouse flower and plant sales (including resales) totalled $1.5 billion in 2015. Resales were $219.8 million and accounted for 18.9% of total greenhouse flower and plant sales. Indoor and outdoor potted plants represented the largest share of all flowers and plants produced and sold, accounting for 62.3% of total greenhouse floriculture sales. Close to half of potted plant sales came from Ontario. Ontario generated 68.0% of the sales value of cut flowers in Canada. British Columbia (23.5%) and Quebec (10.9%) also represented large shares of total greenhouse flower and plant sales.
Greenhouse vegetable sales totalled $1.3 billion in 2015, about $300 million higher than the value of field grown vegetables (published in The Daily on February 3, 2016). Sales of greenhouse tomatoes advanced 1.9% to $516.9 million, while sales of peppers increased 6.9% to $426.1 million. Lettuce had the largest percentage increase, with sales rising 13.4% to $36.0 million. Cucumbers sales decreased 1.3% to $308.2 million, largely as a result of lower prices.
Chart 2
Greenhouse, nursery and sod operating expenses
Total operating expenses for greenhouses increased 3.3% to $2.3 billion in 2015. Labour costs accounted for nearly one-third of total operating expenses. The total number of greenhouse employees rose 1.2% to 33,358, while payroll rose 5.3% to $694.3 million. Crop expenses, electricity and plant material purchases continued to increase, as a result of industry expansion and higher input costs.
Total nursery sales (including resales) increased 3.5% from 2014 to $712.6 million in 2015, with sales (+4.2%) of nursery-grown products outpacing resales (+0.9%). Nursery operating expenses edged up 0.3% to $605.7 million. Labour costs represented the largest share, accounting for 37.1% of total operating expenses. The total number of nursery employees fell 3.4% to 13,152 and labour costs decreased 1.0% to $225.0 million.
In 2015, total sod sales (including resales) were up 3.2% to $167.0 million, while expenses increased 0.8% to $136.8 million. Sod farm operations employed 1,855 people in 2015, up 0.5% from 2014.
Contact information
For more information, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca).
To enquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact Rita Athwal (613-863-7249; rita.athwal@canada.ca), Agriculture Division.
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