FLOWER SALES WILT ECONOMY, MOTHER NATURE PELT GROWERS.

Byline: Grace Lee Staff Writer

VENTURA - Ventura County cut-flower growers, already hit by a sagging economy, got little help from Christmas season sales as foreign competition and unusual weather dashed hopes for recouping losses.

The Christmas season - while nowhere near as profitable as the industry's top holidays of Valentine's Day and Mother's Day - usually offers growers a brief window of opportunity, said Lee Murphy, president of the California Cut Flower Commission. But for many growers, the sputtering economy meant the week leading up to Christmas was just another week of slow business.

``I think the economy has made everybody less aggressive in spending, and flowers are not considered a necessity,'' Murphy said. ``People need to pay for rent and gas, not flowers.''

The letdown was particularly disappointing in an economy when ``every opportunity counts,'' said Alan Laird, the county's deputy agricultural commissioner.

California grows 69 percent of the commercial flowers produced in the United States, with Ventura County ranking fifth in the state in cut-flower production. The production value for cut flowers in Ventura County in 2001 totaled $51.8 million. Lilies and irises account for about $13.3 million of the figure.

In addition to a drop in sales that growers suffered after Sept. 11, 2001, and the energy crisis that forced growers to pay four to six times their usual energy costs, growers this holiday season also faced foreign competition and an unusual weather pattern that caused many flowers to bloom early.

Over the past year, Murphy said, growers have been forced to sell flowers 12 percent below the cost of growing them.

``This could have been a time to make up for that, but a whole bunch of flowers were coming in late (in the year) from South America,'' he said. ``Flowers were coming into December, especially from Colombia and Ecuador.''

It's difficult for American flower growers to compete with those countries because, with the less-expensive labor, ``they're able to get a top-quality product cheaper, Laird said.

Barry Mullen, manager of Bel Air Flower Growers and Shippers in Oxnard, said his company tries to capitalize on the high demand for red and white flowers during the holidays, but operators couldn't anticipate the unusually warm weather during November.

``We had planted some extra whites and they came early, a little too soon, and that hurt us,'' he said of the white larkspur, a spiked flower about 40 inches tall. ``We sold them but we pushed a little and we couldn't get the prices we wanted.''

Nor did the rain this month help the situation because too much extra moisture makes flowers more prone to diseases.

``It's hard with Mother Nature ... It seems like it's always something,'' Mullen said.

Joel Delgado, a supervisor at Sunshine Flowers in Oxnard, said his cut-flower company was also unable to meet the high demand for reds and whites. He faced the challenge of moving all colors of flowers so he wasn't left with unpopular December colors like orange and yellow, which wouldn't sell on their own.

``Flowers don't stop producing just because they're no longer in demand,'' he said.

This Christmas season was a grim contrast to last year's, Delgado said, when he sold red and white gerbera daisies for twice the cost at 80 cents a stem, and 20 percent more for a bunch.

``By Christmas, we're usually sold out of everything. We empty out our coolers and it's gone. This year, that's not the case. ... We're lowering the prices by as much as 50 percent.''

Flower shops usually benefit if growers have had a tough year, said Robert Donegan, sales manager at Mr. B's Flowers in Canoga Park.

``We usually have more bargaining power if (flower growers) have a glut,'' Donegan said.

But generally, flower shops have faced slow business as well, he said.

``I've heard other flower shops saying, We're slow. We're slow,'' he said.

He said Mr. B's Flowers is an exception because it has a loyal clientele.

``We're a pretty unique store. We're a big shop in the Valley and we've remained pretty busy throughout December.''

The store has paid slightly more for red and white flowers this season. Donegan attributed the higher prices to greater competition from larger markets and a smaller supply of flowers.

Laura Gonzales, office manager at Pleasant Valley Flowers, said the company has been charging about $7 for a bunch of lilies, down from the usual price of $10 a bunch.

``It's been a difficult year, not only for us, but for other businesses,'' she said. ``We're really hoping next year is better because this year has been really terrible.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Angelica Diaz, above, snips the ends off a bunch of gerbera daisies at Pleasant Valley Flowers in Oxnard. Left, arrangements of exotic flowers are ready for sale at Mr. B's Flowers in Canoga Park.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) Pedro Bustamonte gathers yellow gerbera daisies at Pleasant Valley Flowers in Oxnard.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer