Challenges and Opportunities in Horticulture
Horticulture
is a boon of nature which is refined by human skill as a science to obtain more
and more benefits. It involves rigorous cropping expertise, including the
improvement, production, distribution and use of vegetables, fruits, ornamental,
greenhouse plants etc. Horticulture is now one of the fastest growing
industries with striking professional opportunities.
The production and marketing of horticultural crops is undergoing
continuous change globally. This is due to the growing demands of consumers for
safe and healthy foods, increased urbanisation of societies, the growth in
scale and influence of supermarkets, the corporatisation of farming, changes in
the availability of labour and the low priority given to food production by
governments. The concept of sustainability of horticultural crops
narrate both to the use of resources, such as soil, water and nutrients, in a
way which fulfils future need and the accountable use of objectionable
compounds such as pesticides which will not compromise the quality of the
environment.
Challenges for Horticulture:
Though horticulture plays a critical
role in modern communities, globally is undergoing some significant challenges
that are having harmful impact on both the production of horticultural crops
and also on the priorities for research and development. Many of these
challenges are quite recent and are of considerable magnitude. They include,
but are not limited to, the following:
Current Economic Conditions Globally
The overall downturn in the global
economy over the past decade has seen a decrease in the discretionary income of
consumers in many countries. As a consequence the consumption of many high
priced items like fresh fruit and vegetables has been static or declining. This
has also impacted on the rate of growth in exports from some countries.
Increased
“Protectionism”
Consumers in many developed countries
have become more interested in understanding the sources of the foods that they
eat. In parallel, local farmers have recognised the opportunity to promote the
consumption of locally produced horticultural produce in order to boost their
sales. Within this same period, many governments have increased the levels of
protectionism against imported produce.
Growth
in Supermarkets and Corporate Farming
The supply chain for horticultural
produce has changed rapidly on a global scale over the past two or three
decades. Supermarkets have rapidly displaced smaller marketers as the main
outlets for the year-round supply of fruit, vegetables and cut-flowers. In the
consumer characteristics for preferring super market lie opportunities for
horticultural producers and for horticultural science to develop appropriate
production methods, new cultivars and products and to demonstrate the benefits
from fruit and vegetable consumption and from the use of plants in various
environments.
Changes in Demographics
Populations in developed countries
are shifting dramatically towards greater proportions of older people as a
result of lower birth rates in recent decades. These shifts are impacting
strongly on consumer consumption patterns as evidenced by smaller households,
increased dining out, and increased demands for healthier foods which mainly
includes fruit and vegetables.
Urbanisation
An
increasing proportion of the world’s population is living in metropolitan
environments where their understanding of farming and food production is
becoming progressively poor. While in 1950 approximately 71% of the world’s
population lived in rural locations, this had declined to 50% in 2011 and is
anticipated to be as low as 30% globally by 2050. Ironically these same
urban-based consumers have become increasing verbal about various issues such
as use of pesticides, labour conditions for farm workers, carbon taxes,
buy-local campaigns and the sustainability of production methods. These are
often driven as “matters of concern” and are in isolation from the reality of
current production methods or of the opportunity to realistically meet these
consumer demands. Urbanisation is also impacting significantly on the
availability of labour for farming activities in general.
The Growth in the Scale of New Producers
The overall unavailability of
low-cost labour and the escalating cost of land have seen a decline in
horticultural production in many developed countries around the world. Hence
production has shifted to countries where land and labour allow
cost-competitiveness.
Genetically
Modified Crops
Genetically Modified Organisms are
now widely used in a number of countries for the production of large-scale
agronomic crops, especially maize, soybean and canola (rape seed). This is,
however, not the case for horticultural crops where concerns and debates about
the safety and the wider justification of genetic modification prevail in many
countries. Of concern, is the lack of awareness about the role that
conventional plant breeding plays in the production of new cultivars and the
confusion that often prevails between conventional breeding and plants produced
using gene transfer technologies.
Draw back in field situation
Farmer faces lot of problem starting
from progenies collection to the storage of the produce produced. At one time
unavailability of proper planting material or it may be the lack on superior
quality ultimately the farmer will have losses.
Transfer of knowledge and technologies
An inefficient extension
activity is the major constraint in transfer of advance technology, high
yielding, better qualities and biotic and abiotic stress resistant cultivars to
the door step of grower.
Conclusion:
Horticultural
science can respond too many of these challenges through research and
innovation that can seek to gain more efficient methods of crop production,
refined post-harvest storage and handling methods, newer and higher value
cultivars, demonstration of health benefits and newer methods of knowledge
dissemination. Horticulture
and the closely associated horticultural sciences are critical elements of
modern society in most developed countries and in many developing countries
around the world. The contributions of horticultural crops, and their related
industries, to society at large are very considerable, generally taken for
granted but often poorly understood or acknowledged. Boosting of production for
the ever growing population is the prime importance of the researcher as well
the grower. Considering the challenges and adopting proper steps while
accepting the opportunities in an
efficient way should be the door step towards higher and sustainable
production.