"Global Horticulture Market 2014 -2018 estimated to be "Pink and Healthy"

The horticulture industry consists of the production of fruits, vegetables and flowers. In today's world, people are very conscious about their diet and eating habits. A busy lifestyle and stressful work culture has pushed up the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Consequently, the sector is flourishing and opening up new prospects of employment and research, thereby introducing a new dimension into the agriculture sector across the world. As a matter of fact, horticulture is currently considered as a separate industry. Further, the floriculture industry is picking up pace due to the increasing demand for fresh flowers and several associated products. This has generated new income prospects for farmers and others working in the allied sectors of this industry. The processing, transportation, distribution and packing sectors associated with the horticulture industry have also been greatly benefitted.

Global fruit production in 2013 was estimated at 676.9 million tonnes as against an estimated 656.9 million tonnes in 2012. The global fruit industry consists of the production and trade of bananas, semi-tropical fruits, citrus fruit, soft fruit, pommes and stone fruits.

Global vegetable production, including the production of melons, was estimated at 879.2 million tonnes in 2013. China and India were amongst the highest producing countries for the year. Among all vegetables, potato was the most popular; other widespread vegetables were sweet potato, tomato, onions and cabbage.
The leading fruit producing countries in the world in 2013 were China, India, Brazil, the United States of America (USA) and Indonesia. China and India also made it to the top-10 vegetable producing countries of the world in the same year.

The global export of fruits which stood at USD 68.17 billion in 2009, increased to USD 97.02 billion in 2013. Globally, the fruit imports also registered an increase to USD 105.26 billion in 2013, from USD 76.49 billion in 2009. India was placed 10th in the import of vegetables, valued at USD 2,305.34 million, and secured the 14th position in the import of fruits which was valued at USD 2,162.31 million in 2013. In 2011, land area under flower production worldwide was 400,000 hectares. Asia-Pacific, with an area of 244,263 ha, accounted for nearly 60 percent of the total area under production, with China and India dominating this space.

Global annual consumption of flowers was estimated in the range of USD 40 - 60 billion in 2011. On the demand side, major flower consuming countries in the world are concentrated in Western Europe, Germany, the USA, the UK, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Together they consumed around 80 percent of the total flower production. Of the world's ten largest domestic markets for cut flowers, six are in the EU, namely Germany, the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Other important markets are the US and Japan, accounting for around 20 percent each. Recently, Russia and the Middle East have also become important markets demonstrating rapid market growth.

Over the last few years, the market for the flower industry has advanced and the demand for newer products has expanded. For instance, currently, the Russian market preference is for very large flower buds. Globalization, trade liberalization and transformation in consumer demand are generating new market opportunities for producers and labourers of the horticulture industry. This has thrown up a wide range of economic prospects for the industry, especially in the tropics and sub-tropic zones. Consequently, many farmers who produced cereals have changed a portion of their production into high value horticultural crops.

Many countries across the globe have been taking measures to support the horticulture industry due to the fact that it is contributing significantly to the domestic economy. For instance, the Netherlands' economy is largely influenced by this industry; it tops the charts in the export of flowers. Hence, despite various issues of soil degradation and erosion, the country is still taking up measures to increase soil fertility and implementing new technology for the production of flowers.

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