Economics of Global Horticulture

Economics of Horticultural Businesses

Learning Objectives

Examine the role of horticultural commodities in the U. S. and Texas agricultural economies.
Compare the values of U. S. and foreign imports in the fruits and vegetables marketed in the U. S.
Explore the changes in the fruit and vegetable markets as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Complete and submit Assignment #12.

Horticultural Business Information Network
The Horticultural Business Information Network is a collection of business resources that can be used for managerial decision-making by many types of horticultural operations including nursery and greenhouse growers, landscape installation and service firms, retail garden centers, fruit and vegetable growers, and firms who direct market to end consumers. Go to this website and review these economic and marketing materials that are available for these horticultural businesses.

Floriculture and Environmental Horticulture Outlook and Yearbook
ERS conducted a market analysis program for floriculture and nursery crops from 2002-07. An outlook report and yearbook were published each year. These reports provided information on the changing conditions in the U.S. floriculture and nursery crop sector. Topics included production, consumption, trade, prices received, and more.

Nursery Crops
A product of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. This full-text report presents data on nursery crops including broadleaf evergreens, coniferous evergreens, deciduous shade trees, deciduous flowering trees, deciduous shrubs and other ornamentals, fruit and nut plants, cut and to be cut Christmas trees, transplants for commercial truck crop production, and propagation material or lining-out stock; data includes the number of producers, number of trees and plants sold, gross sales, percent of sales that were wholesale, number of trees and plants on hand, value of those on hand, and percent of inventory expected to sell in 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years or later for 17 selected states and growers having $100,000 or more in sales; also number of growers and part-time and full-time hired workers for growers with $10,000 or more in sales.

USDA-ERS Vegetables and Melons Briefing Room
The United States trails only China and India in world production of vegetables and melons. During the first half of this decade, U.S. farm cash receipts from the sale of vegetables and melons (including mushrooms) averaged $17.5 billion—17 percent of U.S. crop cash receipts. Annual per capita use of all vegetables and melons averaged 445 pounds (fresh-weight basis) during the first 5 years of the 2000s—a 5-percent increase over a decade earlier. Separate briefing rooms are also available for potatoes and dry beans.

USDA-ERS Fruit and Tree Nuts Briefing Room
The United States is among the top producers and consumers of fruit and tree nuts in the world. Each year, fruit and tree nut production generates about 13 percent of U.S. farm cash receipts for all agricultural crops. Annual U.S. per capita use of fruit and tree nuts totals nearly 300 pounds, fresh-weight equivalent. Oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas are the most popular fruit while almonds, pecans, and walnuts are the most preferred tree nuts. This briefing room presents economic analyses and data about U.S. fruit and tree nuts, including data on harvested acreage, commercial production, crop value, trade, and per capita use for various citrus and noncitrus fruit crops and tree nuts.

USDA-FAS (Foreign Agricultural Service) U.S. Horticultural Reports
These reports replaced the Quarterly Reference Guide to World Horticultural Trade (2003-2004) and the Monthly World Horticulture Trade and U.S. Export Opportunities (through 2002). Horticultural trade data is available via PSD Online at Production, Supply, and Distribution Online Database.

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