Florida Nurseries Hit Hard by Hurricanes

FORT PIERCE – More than 40 Treasure Coast nursery growers attended an informational meeting at the Indian River Research & Educational Center on Tuesday seeking post-hurricane advice to an industry hit hard by Hurricane Frances.

With combined sales of $9.9 billion, the Florida nursery industry rings up sales larger than its longer-established cousin, citrus. Yet individual nursery operations tend to be smaller and more vulnerable to storm damage, several growers say.

Growers say delays in getting financial assistance to nurserymen could put the survival of their businesses in doubt.

"We deal with unpredictable weather all the time. I can deal with that," says bedding plant producer Terri Pinder, Pinder Nurseries, Palm City. "But, if I'm not going to get help I might as well hang up my hat now."

Preliminary estimates of irrecoverable losses from Hurricane Frances are still being compiled, but St. Lucie Agricultural Extension Service agent Ed Skvarch thinks the nursery losses in St. Lucie County alone will exceed $23 million.

The numbers for Martin, Okeechobee and Indian River counties were being compiled Tuesday afternoon, Skvarch says, before being transmitted to state Sen. Ken Pruitt's office.

At a meeting last week in Fort Pierce, Pruitt asked Treasure Coast agricultural interests to submit storm loss estimates to him as soon as possible. Pruitt is lobbying state and federal governments for a comprehensive assistance package for all growers affected by the storm.

St. Lucie County indoor plant grower Kevin Kraft has been coordinating the nursery industry's response to storm damages through its trade association, the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscapers Association.

Kraft says he'd like to be able to report that aid from Washington, D.C., and Tallahassee would be immediately forthcoming, but he did not want to mislead his fellow professionals.

Kraft puts losses to the nursery industry from hurricanes Charley and Frances at between $530 million and $600 million, affecting 23 counties. Only about 15 percent of that loss is covered by crop insurance, he says. Growers also have had to bear very high deductibles – often 50 percent of the value of their crop – before any insurance is payable.