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FLORIDA NURSERYMEN 

 AND GROWERS 

 ASSOCIATION, INC. 



54li] Kirkman Rd Suite 650. Orlando. Fl- 32819-7991 

 Teli!phuiK (*407l 345-8137 Fax [4071 351-2610 





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TESTIMONY BEFORE THE 



U.S. HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON 



SPECIALTY CROPS AND NATURAL RESOURCES 



NOVEMBER 16, 1993 



Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am Earl Wells, Executive Vice President 

 of Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association, located in Orlando, Florida. Our 

 association represents the nursery, landscape, retail and allied segments of the industry 

 with a membership of approximately 1800. 



Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of the nursery 

 industry of Florida and the nation. 



One of my primary purposes in appearing today is to dispel and hopefully remove from 

 the thought process the idea the nursery industry in this country is NOT AGRICULTURE. 



Unfortunately there is a mind set among many who sit in influential places in government 

 - federal and state - that the nursery industry, we prefer to call it environmental 

 horticulture, does not qualify as agriculture. 



Allow me to share with you a few facts, which I trust will remain in your recall regarding 

 our claim to agricultural status: 



$9 BILLION DOLLARS. That's the estimated cash value of nursery and greenhouse 

 crops In 1992 compiled by the USDA's Economic Research Service. NOTE: USDA 

 compiles these statistics! 



Nursery and greenhouse crops rank sixth in total cash receipts among all farm 

 commodities in the U.S., NEARLY 10 PER CENT OF ALL FARM CROP RECEIPTS, 

 RANKING AHEAD OF WHEAT, COTTON AND TOBACCO. 



- SERVING THE ElORIDA ENVIRONMENTA1 HORTICUITURAI INDUSTRY - IN UNIFY THERE IS STRENGTH- 



