Dear Kim,

I noticed the same thing. I have sent them email, hopefully they will respond with some info.

Linda

Kim, There was a post on ASCFG Bulletin Board a while back that stated they were taking down the old USDA wholesale ornamental prices; but, they were supposed to be replacing it with a new one. I guess that didn't happen.
Do you hold your prices to your florists steady all season?

Linda, how do you plan to apply wholesale prices to your retail business?

Trish

Trish, if I have an excess of fresh flowers, I have a couple of florists who will purchase my flowers, so I like to know what price to ask for when selling them wholesale. If I order any flowers wholesale, I would like to know in advance what they are selling for so I don't pay too much. I also think it helps to know wholesale prices when pricing retail flowers.

Linda

Trish -
Yes I thought they were replacing it too. No I don't hold my prices steady on all flowers during the season.
BTW, I sent you an e-mail a while ago now inclusive of several topics, your photos on PBucket, Wollams flower schedule and your farm name. Since you didn't respond, I want to apologise, if I was outta line and a little too forward.
Sorry!
Kim - BFFF

Kim,

I received this information back from USDA:

"We ceased reporting ornamental crops at the wholesale level at period you noticed. Shipping point prices for imported ornamental crops are reported out of our Miami office. I hope that this information will meet your needs."

I am still trying to find out how to access the above information. I think this says a lot about ornamentals in the United States and foreign competition. Does the USDA feel that ornamentals aren't worth being reported as the other crops and animal products are. I don't see how American farmers can stay competitive if they can't avail themselves of pricing information.

I know this is political but if every US ornamental grower voiced their concern to the USDA perhaps they would include this information again.

Lnda

Kim,
I sent an email to you this morning because I never received the email you are apologizing about. It must be floating out there in cyberworld. So, please resend your email.

Anyway, I had a communication with Lynn B today regarding another issue; however, I also asked her if she knew anything about the USDA website for wholesale ornamental pricing. I mentioned to her that I thought it curious nobody had posted on the ASCFG Bulletin Board any concerns about this issue. She had thought the same as us -- they were revamping the site. She thanked me for the heads-up, and said she would investigate further. Within a half hour she sent an email to me, and sure enough the wholesale prices for ornamentals are history -- no more updates. She mentioned the following, and also posted to the ASCFG Bulletin Board:

Unfortunately, at the same time USDA created a wonderful new portal for its price reports, it stopped reporting cut flower prices. The last prices you will find will be Feb. 2, 2006.
The folks at USDA said they had to cut somewhere because of a tight budget, and have already laid off those staff members.
But maybe it's not too late! If you used the USDA cut flower prices, let them know! email terry.long@usda.gov.

Trish

Trish & Kim,

I had already emailed Terry this am after his response I posted above. Here is his response about my asking why they can't keep the flower reports:

"We were pushed by budget concerns to reduce staff. We eliminated several reports, including wholesale flower reporting. Flower production in the US is very limited, thus we focus on reporting the f.o.b. price for imported flowers in Miami. Go to our website at:

www.ams.usda.gov/marketnews.htm

Once there, click on fruits and vegetables. Then on individual text reports, then on ornamental crops markets reports, and then Miami. Please check it out".

But perhaps, as you say Trish, if more people let them know that they use the reports, they might add them in again. It is worth a try - I've put my two cents worth in.

Linda

I found the report the USDA referred to. It's totally useless!

I plan on sending USDA an e-mail voicing my disappointment that the reports have been shelved. So much for the US Government supporting small business. Everyone on the forum should do the same thing.
Cheers - Kim
Billabong Fresh Flower Farm

Here is a link that might be useful: Import Shipping Report Miami

As President of the ASCFG, I've been in contact with Terry Long with the USDA about the cut flower pricing reports. He now understands that the Miami reports are useless to US growers. It lists the prices on about a half dozen South American imports. Not quite what we need! He has offered to try and do another report from possibly Boston that would include the wide range of flowers that are grown by US cut flower growers. It won't happen overnight, but it may happen. In the meantime, the old USDA reports are still available online, but will be removed at a later date. It may be a good idea to print a copy while you still can. It won't be up to date, but it is better than nothing.

As a result of the USDA ending the cut flower pricing reports, the ASCFG is working on producing our own reports that would be produced by our membership and available to the membership on the ASCFG web site. We'll have more information on this in a couple weeks.

Hopefully USDA will implement the reports again - even if only Boston. These reports help keep United States flower farms profitable by making up-to-the-minute prices available to the grower. In addition, it gives informaiton about the types of flowers being grown which is helpful to new flower growers.

I did make copies, but unfortunately having only Feb reports available to copy will only show some of the flowers that are grown in the US.

I sent my thoughts along to Terry as well. Thanks.

Linda