Texas Sod Valued at $178 Million
Texas sod producers sold an estimated $178 million worth of turfgrass in 2005 according to a recent survey conducted by economists with the Texas Cooperative Extension.
Dr. Lawrence Falconer, Professor and Extension Economist, and Michelle Niemeyer, Graduate Assistant in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M Univeristy, conducted the survey. They estimate the total economic output of sod production on the Texas economy at $307 million in 2005.
Several interesting and important findings were revealed by the study:
- Employment on farms was estimated to be 1,320 full time workers, 235 part-time workers and 515 seasonal workers.
- In total, the sod production industry was estimated to support over 5,200 jobs in Texas.
- Production costs were estimated to be over $2,300 per acre in direct and fixed costs.
- Growers indicated that costs were rising dramatically, with 82% reporting they had experienced a median increase in operating costs of 20% between 2002 and 2005.
- Most growers are not diversified with over 83% of total sales being generated by sod sales.
- The total acreage of turfgrass being grown in 2005 was estimated to be over 56,000 acres, with about 47,000 harvested that year.
- 82% of Texas growers have some St. Augustine with 34% producing only that grass.
- 64% have bermudagrass with 14% growing the grass exclusively.
- 14% have some zoysia.
- The most popular variety of St. Augustine being grown was Raleigh (91%), followed by Common (36%).
- 81% of the Bermuda growers grow Tif-419. 46% grow common and 23% grow Celebration.
- Turfgrass sod production ranks ninth in value among the various commodities grown in Texas
The full report will be available on the Turfgrass Producers of Texas website: www.txsod.com.