Fewer people are buying lei, after taking a look at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual summary of Hawaii’s Flowers & Nursery Products — a $69.1 million market.
The annual review for 2012 found that overall sales dropped by 1 percent from 2011, and that makes the fifth year in a row that sales have dropped since a record high of $108.7 million in 2007.
The review attributes high business costs, dry weather, pest issues, and vog, or volcano smog, as reasons for the trending decline in sales.
Cut flowers last year totaled $6.6 million, slightly lower than last year, while cut and potted orchids were valued at $14.2 million in 2012, a 2 percent drop year over year.
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