Sally Rummery
With unprecedented times being the catchphrase of 2020, the lifestyle priorities of most Australians have dramatically shifted in the past eight months. With the implementation of nationwide states of emergency and disaster as first bushfires and then the covid-19 pandemic swept Australia, nursery profits have hugely increased.
The Australian nursery industry saw a massive boost in interest in fruit and vegetable plants in the months following lockdown. Owner of Churches Garden Centre, Andrew Church says he hasn’t seen anything like it during his time running his second-generation nursery.
“I’m incredibly happy the surge in plants is back to what it was forty years ago. I think people have reconnected with what’s important”.
While most retail businesses were forced to close their doors as Australia entered lockdown in April, nurseries and hardware shops were not. Nursery production revenue is projected to grow by 3.6% this year, in comparison to an average industry growth of -1.0% between 2015-2020.
Mr Church says the Job-keeper payment has played an important role in stimulating the economy of his business.
“It’s put a lot of money into the economy. It did what it was supposed to do and I’m very thankful for that”.
With drought having a significant impact on most areas of Australia in the past three years, both indoor and outdoor plant production has felt the pressure. The sudden change in climate weather patterns, with the breaking of the drought in many areas and the dramatic increase in home renovations as a result of lockdown has seen a marked influx in demand for products.
“People have discovered they can be self-sufficient and sustainable. At the beginning of lockdown it went from nothing to off the scale overnight. We sold out of all our vegetable at the start, all of our seeds and out fruit trees, we couldn’t source anything”
Andrew Church, Churches Garden Centre
Mr Church has seen the increase in plants as food and says he thinks it will continue to be a strong trend into the future.
“I think people are getting on board a lot more with sustainable gardening. People are putting in a lot of their own vegetables and fruit trees now. They don’t want to have to buy from a supermarket. They know that they haven’t sprayed pesticides on their own plants. They just want to be self-sufficient”.