Providing more than $3.3 billion in revenue and employing more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the state's horticultural industry is the Commonwealth's leading cash crop. In fact, it makes up 26 percent of all crop sales in the state and is the fastest growing area of Pennsylvania agriculture at a rate of 7 percent growth per year.
Many people do not realize the significance of this industry and its impact on our state, said Rep. Art Hershey.
Often referred to as the "green industry," this area of agriculture is comprised of nurseries, greenhouses, retail garden centers, flower shops, arborists and landscape contractors. This industry thrives in Pennsylvania due to the favorable soil, climate and weather conditions. These factors are what also make Pennsylvania the leading producer of nursery and floriculture crops in the entire northeastern United States.
As chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Hershey had the opportunity to learn more about this important industry.
The Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association has approximately 750 member companies. According to the association, the bulk of its members are located in southeast Pennsylvania, with more than 43 companies here in Chester County.
In addition to providing an economic boost for the state, the industry also provides positive environmental benefits since plants are known to help clean the air, control water runoff and drainage and reduce noise pollution. An industry that not only brings great financial gains to the state but also protects the environment is an industry worth supporting.
The horticultural industry is actually one of the industries in Pennsylvania where the available jobs outnumber the amount of employees. This is an area that needs to be promoted to today's young people as a viable field of study with opportunity for job stability and growth.
Included in the 2004-05 budget was a 12 percent increase for the Department of Agriculture bringing the total to $81.4 million. Some of this funding will be used for marketing, research and educational outreach, which could be used to help promote industries in the Commonwealth, such as horticulture.