The horticulture industry embraces the production, processing and shipping of and the market for fruits and vegetables. As such it is a sector of agribusiness and industrialized agriculture. Industrialized horticulture sometimes also includes the floriculture industry and production and trade of ornamental plants.
Among the most important fruits are: bananas Semi-tropical fruits like lychee, guava or tamarilloAll A-Z information on Subtropical fruits, fruitsinfo.com Citrus fruits soft fruits (berries) apples stone fruits
Important vegetables include: Potatoes Sweet potatoes Tomatoes Onions and Cabbage
In 2013 global fruit production was estimated at . Global vegetable production (including melons) was estimated at with China and India being the two top producing countries.
Value chain The horticultural value chain includes: Inputs: elements needed for production; seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals, farm equipment, irrigation equipment, GMO technology Production for export: includes fruit and vegetables production and all processes related to growth and harvesting; planting, weeding, spraying, picking Packing and cold storage: grading, washing, trimming, chopping, mixing, packing, labeling, blast chilling Processed fruit and vegetables: dried, frozen, preserved, juices, pulps; mostly for increasing shelf life Distribution and marketing: supermarkets, small scale retailers, wholesalers, food service
Companies Fruit Chiquita Brands International Del Monte Foods Dole Food Company
Genetically modified crops / GMO
Monsanto/Bayer
References
External links FFA (future farmers of America) fruit logistica conference 2017