by Kenechi Anigbogu May 3, 2021 Staying at home during the pandemic has helped many people find a new hobby in the garden. (Photo vid Pexels)
As the pandemic forced people to spend more time at home, many have turned to gardening. A Reuters article published in 2020 found that there are a number of reasons why this is the case. These range from having a family pursued a hobby that is suitable for everyone to countries like Russia and Singapore looking for solutions to food security concerns.
While some viewed toilet paper stockpiling as essential at the start of the pandemic, others focused on seeds. In the same Reuters article, a seed company owner noted that “the demand for seeds tends to increase in difficult economic times”.
The germ aspect is definitely one point of view that business journalists should consider when reporting on the subject. One of the first places to check out is the seed retailers and research the trends they see in sales. In New Zealand and Australia, seed sellers saw new orders 10 times higher than normal at the start of the pandemic. In the US, a Fedco Seeds employee in Maine said the company typically hits its daily order limit within 10 minutes. Reporters can also look at libraries. With a decent number of public libraries dispensing seeds, it might be instructive to examine what they have noticed regarding the demand for their seeds.
Another option is to speak to a local gardener. People come to them for advice on growing seeds and they can talk about whether or not the inquiries are increasing. A leading gardener in the UK noted that requests had increased during the lockdown. Examining surveys of local buyer trends could also give a good insight into people’s current spending habits.
An increase in spending on seeds is likely to mean an increase in spending on complementary goods in the gardening industry, such as gardening tools / tools, fertilizers, etc. Reviewing the demand for these items could also give a good look at the outlook for the seeds industry.
Last but not least, inflation is an important area – the rise in the price of goods in an economy over a period of time. The food industry saw its prices inflate due to the pandemic and quarantine. Households stayed home to eat more in 2020. This increased demand for groceries at home led to an increase in the price of related goods. This price inflation is expected to continue through 2021.
Food industry inflation is important to the horticultural industry as it could affect consumer behavior. If prices continue to rise, people will look for ways to lessen the financial burden and may consider gardening as a means of fighting inflation.
