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35. A Ten-Year Review of the Southeast U.S. Green Industry, Part II: Addressing Labor Shortages and Internal and External Factors Affecting Business Strategies

Author

Rihn, Alicia L., Fulcher, Amy, Khachatryan, Hayk, LeBude, Anthony, Warner, Laura A., and Schnexnayder, Susan

Subjects
nursery crops, ornamental horticulture, employment, Agribusiness, Labor and Human Capital
Abstract

Agriculture can be a very labor-intensive industry. While some types of crops and livestock operations have become highly mechanized and have incorporated precision agriculture technologies in planting, fertilizing, and harvesting activities, specialty crops, including nursery crops, still rely heavily on manual labor. For example, planting, pruning, fertilizing, staking, weeding, harvesting and pulling orders are often done manually by workers due to the diversity of products (e.g., size, shape), fragility of the product, and low consumer tolerance for aesthetic damage on plants. Labor accounts for approximately 40 percent of nursery production costs (Mathers et al., 2010; Hall & Ingram, 2014). However, a business model that depends on maintaining the current labor force may not be successful. Current surveys reveal that a shrinking workforce is becoming a greater barrier for producers. For example, Tennessee growers report that labor-related challenges including hiring and retaining domestic employees are increasing. A common refrain from Tennessee nursery owners is that locally sourced employees routinely do not return from lunch on their first day, if they show up at all. Tennessee producers’ experiences are not unique. Nationally, nearly 80 percent of nurseries indicated that labor is their greatest challenge, and more than 50 percent stated the lack of a qualified workforce limited their ability to fill vacant positions (McClellan, 2018). Given the persistent and widespread labor scarcity that U.S. nurseries are facing, growers may need to adopt strategies that improve efficiency and production to best utilize their limited workforce. In Part I of this series of publications, A Ten-Year Review of the Southeast U.S. Green Industry, Part I: Labor and Firm Characteristics, we explored annual sales, product types and workforce demographics. In Part II, we discuss what actions nurseries are taking to address the labor shortage and the role other factors and issues have on business decisions that could affect the future sustainability of the U.S. green industry. Growers and other industry stakeholders can use these results to evaluate strategies to address and alleviate labor issues. These results may also help decision makers within nurseries identify solutions, including technologies that align with their unique production situations. The results could also help elected officials, state and federal agriculture entities, and trade associations identify opportunities to develop new, and expand existing, cost share programs and similar initiatives that support nursery producers.

Published
2022
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36. Exploring market choices in the US ornamental horticulture industry.

Author

Wei, Xuan, Khachatryan, Hayk, Hodges, Alan, Hall, Charlie, Palma, Marco, Torres, Ariana, and Brumfield, Robin

Subjects
ORNAMENTAL plant industry, MARKETING, GARDEN centers, MARKET share, HOME prices, MARKETING channels, WHOLESALE prices, PRICE indexes, ENTRY mode strategies (Foreign markets)
Abstract

In 2019, the US ornamental horticulture industry had a farm gate crop value of roughly $17 billion, contributed $348 billion in total output to the nation's economy, and created 2.32 million employment opportunities. However, as the industry matures and reaches a slow‐growing stage, interfirm rivalry may appear among grower firms for marketing channels and sales opportunities. Independent garden centers and retailers report facing increased competition from mass merchandisers. Market channel choices, as part of the competitive strategy, are alternative ways for ornamental production to reach consumers. However, marketing practices of this industry have not received adequate attention from researchers despite the economic significance of the industry. Combining four waves of the National Green Industry Survey from 2004 to 2019, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing firms' market participation and market channel choices. Over the survey period, traditional wholesale market channels such as landscape services companies, rewholesalers, and single‐location garden centers have remained mainstream channels. The direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) channel showed the potential to gain significant market share. Thirty percent of the firms participated in DTC channel in 2018, and their sales represent about 22% of total sales by all survey firms. Our empirical results show firms' wholesale market participation and choices of market channels are largely influenced by plant types and firm perceptions (variables potentially affecting firms' assessment of the "size" of their market) and variables approximating the market size such as regional dummies and housing price index, confirming the impact of market size on entry decision. [EconLit Citations: C50, M31, L14]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2023
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