Importance of Horticulture Crops in Daily Life of Human Beings
Importance of Horticulture Crops in Daily Life of Human Beings
Introduction:
Pakistan is one of the few countries of the world, where a variety of
fruits are grown in cool temperate climate such as apples, pears, plums,
cherries, and those grown in the warm temperate climate are apricots, figs,
grapes, pomegranates, melons and the rest in the tropical and sub-tropical
climate like bananas, mangoes, dates, guava and citrus fruits, which are
available throughout the year. While the fruits grown in temperate climate are
produced in Baluchistan and NWFP, tropical and subtropical fruits are mostly
grown in Punjab and Sindh. The various varieties of fruits are grown over an
area of about 8.04 million hectors. The annual production of fruits in Pakistan
is estimated at around 6.57 million tonnes, of which only 674 thousand tones
were exported in 2015-16.
In
2015-16 overall fruit export has witnessed a steady growth. More than 29 types
of fruits and 33 types of vegetables are produced in the country throughout the
year. The highest production have reached i.e Citrus fruit & Mango 2.3 and
1.3 million tons, the largest fruit crop group by volume and are major export
revenue earner. According to latest figures Pakistan exported 674 thousand tons
of fruits, vegetables 692.2 thousand tons and condiments 20.5 thousand tons in
FY 2015-16.
Floriculture:
Pakistan is a country of small farming
households, where, floriculture is the best option of enhancing the income of
the under privileged. Introduction to the floriculture crop could be an
important intervention in this regard where the farmer can earn much more by
exploiting available natural resources more efficiently. We have favorable
climate and cheap labor for growing these crops whereas they need much less
land and water for production. These crops also give the premium prices almost
round the year and there is no need to wait for a long time as in the case of
other routine crops. Net profit against the investment is much higher for these
crops compared with others conventional crops. The products are in high demand
all over the world. But in Pakistan, floriculture is in its embryonic stage.
Exportable cut Flowers:
Rose, Carnation, Statice, Gypsophila, Gerbera, Anthumrium, Sanpdragon, Marigold, gladiolus, Narcissus, Freezia, Tuberose and lily.For the exports of flowers, Pakistan is updating technology but it still needs to look at alternatives to the country’s-old growing and exporting methods. Reshipment checking is a vital part of ensuring rotting perishable items sent abroad.
Rose, Carnation, Statice, Gypsophila, Gerbera, Anthumrium, Sanpdragon, Marigold, gladiolus, Narcissus, Freezia, Tuberose and lily.For the exports of flowers, Pakistan is updating technology but it still needs to look at alternatives to the country’s-old growing and exporting methods. Reshipment checking is a vital part of ensuring rotting perishable items sent abroad.
For Human Nutrition:
From human nutrition point of view horticulture
is most important to our daily living. Many of the horticulture crops and
their products find place in our meals and diet. Human body requires
vitamins, minerals, proteins, energy etc. for its health. All these are
supplied by horticultural crops. Fruits and vegetables are the chief sources
of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins etc. Fruits and
vegetables are recognized as protective foods as they are necessary for the
maintenance of human health.
Vitamins:
Calcium:
It is essential for development of bones
regulation of heartbeat, controlling blood clots.
Sources:
Fruits- Acid lime, Orange, Fig, Dried apricots,
wood apple etc. VegetablesCabbage, greens, beans, carrot, onions, peas,
tomatoes, agati, spinach drumstick leaves etc.
Iron:
It is required for production of haemoglobin and
it is constituent of red blood corpuscles. Its deficiency causes anaemia,
smooth tongue, pale lips, eyes and skin and frequent exhaustion.
Sources:
Fruits- Custard apple, Guava, Pineapple, Straw
berry, Grape, Black currents, dried dates etc. and vegetables like Carrot,
Drumstick leaves, beans and agati etc.
Phosphorous:
It is
essential for maintaining the moisture content of tissues and
for development of bones.
Sources:
Fruits-Guava,
Grape, Jackfruit, Passion fruit, Orange and vegetables like Carrot, Chilli,
Drumstick leaves, Beans, cucumber and onion.
Proteins:
These are bodybuilding foods. These are essential
for growth of the body. The deficiency of proteins in the body causes
retarded growth and increases susceptibility to diseases and causes
lethargy.
Sources:
Fruits- Most of the fruits are low in proteins except Guava and
Banana. Vegetables like peas and beans are rich in proteins.
Enzymes:
These are required for controlling several
metabolic activities in the body.
Sources:
Papaya-Papain and Pineapple-Bromelin.Fibre and roughages
(Cellulose and pectin): Fruits and vegetables supply roughages These
are required for digestion and prevention of constipation.
Sources:
Fruits contain low content of fibre. Guava and
anola are better sources compared to other fruits. Leafy vegetables are
rich in fibre content.
HORTICULTURAL ASPECTS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN URBANIZED SOCIETY:
The history of cultivation and horticulture shows
that neither horticulture nor agriculture has always acted as an appropriate
model for caring for the earth. Indeed, the growth of agriculture, bringing
with it the growth of settlement and urbanization, has unfortunately in the
past been associated with environmental transformation and degradation which
have become pressing problems of today and the future. However, valuable
lessons have been learned during that long history of cultivation, of both
broad-acres and the garden. These lessons, together with the ecological studies
that have leant so much on the methods developed in the older plant sciences,
can now be applied to solving many of the environmental problems of modern
urbanized society. The garden can serve as a model of the manner in which we
should be caring for the planet. Plants in urban areas are important in
ameliorating features or the environment such as temperature, noise and
pollution, just as they maintain the balance of life for this earth.
Sustainable residential landscape management programs that address the issues
of cost/benefit (the economic, environmental and personal cost vs. the
economic, environmental, physiological and social benefit) can be used to
educate the public regarding world environmental issues in a setting that is
local and directly relevant to people.
Agriculture being the largest sector of Pakistan can help improve trade
balance of payment. It’s a large sector and requires to be analyzed sectors
wise especially few less touched areas. Therefore I have chosen fruits and
vegetables sector.
Horticulture market: There is a large horticulture export market and
Pakistan though an agricultural economy is only marginally present in this
market. The size of the global horticulture market was worth $77 billion in
1998.
Out of a total world horticulture import market of $77 billion in 1998, the fruit and vegetable segments constituted a $60 billion market while fruit and vegetable juices contributed $6 billion. Cut flowers market accounted for $5 billion; bulbs contributed $4 billion while spices had a share of $2 billion.
Pakistani fruit and vegetables are being demanded in almost all over the
world. Presently Pakistan is exporting fruits and vegetables to the USA, the
Europe, Middle East, Far East, India and Sri Lanka. Mango, kino, apple, dates,
pine nuts, oranges and guava are few well exported fruits and among vegetables
are potato, onion, mushroom, garlic, chilly etc. It is observed by looking at
the data, Pakistan is heavily relying on one market for each item. For example,
Dubai is the biggest market for Pakistani Mango following England and Saudi
Arabia. Sri Lanka is the only biggest market for Pakistani fresh apple. In such
situation, the buyer dictates his terms. There is a need to explore new markets
for Pakistani fruits and vegetables to gain good prices. The Export Promotion Bureau
is striving hard to explore new markets and assist interested exporters to
increase exports.
Kitchen Gardening:
Pakistan is blessed with a variety of climatic
and geographic regimes, which create diversified agro-ecological conditions
suitable for growing almost all kinds of vegetables. The total crop area of
Pakistan is about 22.94 million hectares. Out of which vegetables and
condiments are grown on 0.35 and 0.18 million hectares, respectively which is
about 2.30 % of total crop area. Punjab contributes its share in area by 52 %,
Sindh 26.15 %, KPK 10.85 % and Balochistan 11 % of the total area under
vegetable crops.
Pakistan has the world's sixth largest population; the estimation for
2007 is over 169 million inhabitants, and by the next decade the population is
expected to exceed 176 million. This will lead to higher demand for food and
agricultural products. Also, 24 percent of the population in the country is
undernourished and the number has increased rapidly in recent years, this situation
demands increase in productivity per unit area with good quality. Household
gardening has a vast potential for addressing the food and health of the urban
and peri-urban population. The obvious advantages associated with household
gardening, such as pesticide free produce and availability at the doorstep on
one side and on the other hand, vegetable and herbs have high nutritional
values. If these are grown, households could be able to get balanced diet which
mainly contributes to the healthy society.
Horticulture
Role in Aesthetic Value.
The aesthetic use of plants is a unique feature
of horticulture which is also distinguishing it from other agricultural
activities. The need to bring the attention of people and governments to the
importance of maintaining the biodiversity of planet Earth and also ensuring
that the on-coming generations inherit a cleaner, greener, more ecologically
sustainable world cannot be overemphasized, and horticulturist have worked
towards this goal by enhancing the beauty and quality of our surroundings. The
urbanized environment, where 95 % of the world population lives, is a place
plagued with excessive traffic, air and water pollution and the lack of open
space, have destroyed natural diversity and beauty and thus, demand for massive
increase in greenery and beautification for environmental restoration and
protection. The functional and aesthetic interaction of people, building and
site, using plants and space as its main tools is very important in solving
environmental problems. In Nigeria for example the role of horticulture as a
feasible means of improving urban
green space, aesthetics and improvement of the built environment can be
attested to through the growth of the green industry, persistent campaigns for
more green spaces in the built environment and desire of the concerned
government and public for developing sustainable landscapes that: beautify the
environment; increase the diversity of plant and animal species; conserve
water; reduce runoff and generally enrich the environment and people’s lives.
This increased interest in green spaces in modern cities ensured that
government and urban planners now not only perceive horticulture as a means to
urban development and aesthetics of the environment, but as one of the strategies
to achieving green revolution in man’s environment, and in urban centres.
Hence, there is a need for policies that supports horticulture as a tool in
city building and development. This paper therefore examined the significance
of horticulture in environmental aesthetics and management of the landscape.
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