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Nursery and greenhouse crops rank in the top five commodities in 23 states and in 

 the top 10 in 42 states. Nurseries employ an estimated 43,000 persons on a year 

 round basis and 102,000 during peak seasons. 



You will find commercial nursery production in virtually every state in the nation, 

 except possibly Alaska. I'm not sure any other agricultural commodity can make 

 that claim. 



HOW CAN ANYONE TAKE THE POSITION THE NURSERY INDUSTRY IS NOT 

 AGRICULTURE? 



Having cited national statistics, let me focus briefly on Florida. The nursery industry is 

 valued at more than $1 billion in Florida, we produce over 55 per cent of the nation's 

 tropical foliage plants and the industry is a vital segment of the economic foundation of 

 the state. 



I have cited these statistics to make a point of the fact that disaster assistance programs 

 do not recognize the needs of the nursery industry. Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Iniki 

 and this spring's floods in the midwest call this shortcoming into focus. 



Despite the overwhelming statistics and the tremendous damage brought on by the 

 natural disasters, agencies which address these issues do not seem to recognize the 

 difference between nurseries and other agricultural industries. 



Agency officials do not seem to understand that the nursery industry is a multi-year crop 

 in many instances. It may take, two, three, four or sometimes five years for a crop to 

 reach maturity. 



Agency officials do not recognize the intense nature of investment and production of 

 nursery crops, which many times are grown on small acreages. A large nursery may 

 appear to be very small when considered against a giant wheat, com or cotton farming 

 operation. 



Due to the high value of our crops, they must be protected with chain link fences. But 

 agencies dealing with our industry refuse to recognize those needs. A nursery owner 

 in Homestead, Florida has just as much risk involved with his crop as a sheep or cattle 

 farmer in Montana or Texas. 



Disaster programs on their face create a perception, which more often than not cannot 

 be realized. We hear so much rehoteric, communicated by the media, that every person 

 impacted by a disaster will be the beneficiary of some sort of assistance program. 



