Flower Demand – Spring 2020

While researching for my article, How to Make 10K from 1/4 Acre, I noticed that there were a lot of “light” offerings listed on the USDA’s Boston Ornamental Terminal Prices page.

If you haven’t heard of it before, the Boston Ornamental Terminal Prices page is a great reference to check and see the cost and sales analysis of wholesale flowers. Super helpful if you’re just starting out, or if you need to rethink your current offers.

According to Wikipedia, ” A terminal market is a central site, often in a metropolitan area, that serves as an assembly and trading place for commodities. Terminal markets for agricultural commodities are usually at or near major transportation hubs.”

The USDA defines the terms here, while the prices and market activity are interesting, what we are looking at now is the current supply and demand. These are classified by the USDA as,

“Supply/Offering – The quantity of a particular item available for current trading.

• Heavy – Volume of supplies is above average for the market. 
• Moderate – Volume of supplies is average for the market being reported. 
• Light – Volume of supplies is below average for the market being reported.

Demand – The desire to possess a commodity coupled with the willingness and ability to pay.

• Very Good – Offerings or supplies are rapidly absorbed.
• Good – Firm confidence on the part of buyers that general market conditions are good.
• Moderate – Average buyer interest and trading. 
• Light – Demand is below average.
• Very Light – Few buyers are interested in trading.”

What we are looking for are flowers with light offerings and very good demand.

I’ve copied and pasted the actual Boston Ornamental Terminal Price listing as of Apil 7th, 2020.

BOSTON Ornamental Terminal Prices as of 07-APR-2020                            
                                                                               
Provided by:  Specialty Crops Market News                                      
              Federal - State Market News Service, USDA.                       
                                                                               
Phone:  (617) 387-4498     Fax:  (617) 389-1387                                
                                                                               
BH_FV201                                                                       
Weather at 7:00 am Sunny 42                                                    
Yesterday's High 61                                                            
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               

---AGAPANTHUS: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s EC long 12.50                      
---ALSTROEMERIA: MARKET STEADY. bunched 10s EC Assorted Colors long 6.50-8.50  
mostly 7.50                                                                    
---ANEMONE: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per bunch NY long 15.00                           
---ASTER: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per bunch CB Monte Casino long 7.50 EC Matsumoto    
long 8.50                                                                      
---ASTILBE: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s IS long 15.00                         
---BELLS OF IRELAND (MOLUCELLA): MARKET STEADY. per bunch EC long 7.50-8.50    
mostly 8.50                                                                    
---BUPLEURUM: MARKET STEADY. per bunch EC long 8.50-9.50 mostly 8.50 NL long   
10.00                                                                          
---CALLA (ZANTEDESCHIA): MARKET STEADY. per stem EC Standard Type Assorted     
Colors long 2.00-2.80 mostly 2.80 White Varieties long 3.50-4.00 mostly 3.50 NL
Standard Type White Varieties long 3.00-3.50 mostly 3.50 bunched 10s EC        
Miniature Type Assorted Colors 60cm 15.00 NL Miniature Type Assorted Colors    
60cm 15.00                                                                     
---CARNATIONS: MARKET STEADY. per stem CB Sel Assorted Colors .40-.50 mostly   
.45                                                                            
---CARNATIONS, MINIATURE: MARKET STEADY. per bunch CB Assorted Colors long     
4.00-4.80 mostly 4.00                                                          
---CHRYSANTHEMUMS: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per stem CB Standard long 1.00-1.10 EC     
Standard long 1.25 bunched 10s CB Disbud Spider assorted colors long 7.50-8.50 
mostly 7.50                                                                    
---CRASPEDIA (BILLY BALLS): OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s EC long 10.00         
---DELPHINIUM: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s CA Belladonna long 12.50 EC        
Belladonna long 13.50-14.00 mostly 13.50                                       
---EUPHORBIA: MARKET STEADY. per bunch CA Snow-On-The-Mountain long 8.50       
---FREESIA: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s NL long 8.50                          
---GINGER (ALPINIA): MARKET STEADY. per stem CR Red Type long 2.50 occas higher
short 1.10 Pink Type long 2.50 occas higher short 1.10 Honeycomb long 2.00     
occas higher EC Red Type long 1.75-2.50 mostly 1.75-2.00 box lots 1.25 short   
1.10 Pink Type long 1.75-2.50 mostly 1.75-2.00 short 1.10 HI Red Type long 2.00
med 1.50 short .85-.95 mostly .95 Pink Type long 2.50 occas higher med 2.00 IT 
Red Type short .85                                                             
---GLADIOLA: MARKET STEADY. bunched 10s CA Standard Type long 13.50-15.00      
mostly 15.00                                                                   
---GYPSOPHILA: MARKET STEADY. per bunch EC Perfecta long 7.50 Million Stars    
long 8.00-8.75 mostly 8.50                                                     
---HEATHER: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per bunch CA Melanthera long 10.00 Sterling Range 
long 10.00                                                                     
---HYACINTH: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 5s CD long 7.50                          
---HYDRANGEA: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per stem CB Various Varieties Assorted Colors   
long 4.00 3.00 Blue short 2.50 White exlong 5.00                               
---HYPERICUM: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per bunch EC Dolly Parton long 8.50             
---LARKSPUR (CONSOLIDA): OFFERINGS LIGHT. per bunch CA exlong 12.50 long       
9.50-10.00 mostly 10.00 EC long 8.75                                           
---LEUCOSPERMUM (PIN CUSHION): OFFERINGS LIGHT. per stem CB long 2.75 bunched  
5s CB long 12.50                                                               
---LIATRIS: MARKET STEADY. bunched 10s CB long 6.50-7.50 mostly 7.50           
---LILIES: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s CD Asiatic Type long 15.00 Longiflorum 
(Easter Lily) long 11.99 EC Asiatic/Longiflorum Hybrid long 15.00 NENG Asiatic 
Type long 10.00                                                                
---LISIANTHUS (EUSTOMA): OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s CD long 15.00-17.00      
mostly 16.00 EC long 15.00                                                     
---ORCHID-CYMBIDIUM: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per spray NL Miniature Type lge          
10.00-12.00 mostly 10.00 Standard Type lge 12.50-15.00 mostly 15.00            
---ORCHID-OTHERS: MARKET ABOUT STEADY. per spray NL Phalaenopsis long 12.50 TL 
Vanda long 12.50-15.00 mostly 12.50 VN Phalaenopsis long 19.00 bunched 5s TL   
Mokara Assorted Colors long 20.00 bunched 10s TL Dendrobium long 13.50-15.00   
mostly 15.00 Oncidium long 20.00 short 12.50-15.00 mostly 12.50                
---POMPONS: MARKET HIGHER. per bunch EC long 3.50-4.50 mostly 4.50 NL long 5.00
                                                                               
---QUEEN ANNE'S LACE: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per bunch EC long 8.50-9.00             
---ROSE, HYBRID TEA: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per stem CB Asstd Colors Without Red 70cm
1.00 60cm 1.00 50cm 1.00 EC Asstd Colors Without Red 70cm .85-1.00 mostly 1.00 
60cm .85-1.00 mostly 1.00 50cm .85-1.00 mostly 1.00 ET Asstd Colors Without Red
60cm .85                                                                       
---ROSE, SPRAY TYPE: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s EC Assorted Colors long 15.00
                                                                               
---SNAPDRAGON: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s CD long 12.00-12.50 mostly 12.50   
---SOLIDAGO: MARKET STEADY. per bunch EC long 8.50                             
---STAR OF BETHLEHEM/ORNITHOGALUM: MARKET STEADY. bunched 5s EC Arabicum long  
15.00                                                                          
---STATICE (LIMONIUM): MARKET STEADY. per bunch CB Sinuata long 6.00 Caspia    
long 7.50 EC Sinuata long 6.50 Limonium Hybrids Misty Blue long 8.50-9.50      
mostly 8.50 Misty White long 8.50-9.50 mostly 8.50                             
---STOCK: MARKET HIGHER. bunched 10s EC Double Varieties Assorted Colors long  
10.00-11.50 mostly 10.00                                                       
---SUNFLOWER: MARKET STEADY. bunched 5s CA long 7.50-8.50 mostly 7.50 CD long  
9.50 EC long 8.50 NENG long 6.50-7.50 mostly 7.50 NJ long 8.50 PA long 6.50 PE 
long 6.50 bunched 10s CA long 12.50 CD long 12.50 EC long 10.00 Miniature Type 
long 9.50 per stem CA exlong 1.25-1.75 mostly 1.25 EC long 1.00-1.25 mostly    
1.25 NENG long 1.00 NJ long 1.00 NL long 1.00 PE long 1.00                     
---TULIPS: OFFERINGS LIGHT. bunched 10s NJ Standard Type long 5.95 NL Standard 
Type long 6.50-7.50 mostly 7.50                                                
---VERONICA: MARKET STEADY. bunched 10s EC long 8.50-10.00 mostly 10.00        
---WAXFLOWER: OFFERINGS LIGHT. per bunch CA long 10.00                         

As flower farmers are interested in are the flowers that have light offerings and very good demand, we also need to consider if it can still be grown this season. I.E. Queen Anne’s Lace is a better bet than Hybrid Tea Roses. And all of you currently selling Tulips are golden.

Obviously, just because a certain offering is light at the moment does not mean it will still be that way in 110 days when you finally get to harvest your King Size Apricot Asters.

How does this change your current plans for this season? Are you going to add any particular varieties? Personally, I am going to double on delphiniums for next year, since florists are always talking about how hard they are to find in good condition.