Colour Plants Dominate Nursery Stock Growth

18 November, 2002

The Irish nursery stock sector continues to be one of the fastest growth areas in the Irish agri-food sector, according to a Teagasc specialist.

Paddy Gleeson, Nursery Stock Advisor with Teagasc, told the National Nursery Stock conference that home production of nursery stock has increased by 5% annually since 1997 and is set to continue on the same upward trend for the coming years. Total output for the sector is expected to exceed €40m by 2006 compared to over €30m at present.

Exports are projected to double to a figure of €10m by 2006, driven largely by increased opportunities for Irish produce in the UK

Paddy Gleeson said the continuing growth of the nursery stock industry is being fuelled by the enormous expansion in garden centre sales, which have grown by over 50% since 1999. During the past season, consumers spent over €175m on plants purchased from garden centres.

"The dramatic change in consumer purchases at garden centres has seen demand spiral for large specimen plants and particularly evergreen herbaceous plants. The trend is towards impulse buying of colour plants. Price is not the sole issue. Aspects, such as visual impact, packaging and promotion have an important bearing on sales", he said.

Paddy Gleeson said that higher wage costs, transport and insurance premiums are squeezing margins in nursery stock production. The way forward for producers is through specialisation and co-operation.

" Individual producers should specialise in growing a narrower range of plants and co-ordinate production and supply to ensure more efficient production and delivery of what the market requires," he said.