Importance Of Horticulture Over Agriculture

Implementation of Large Scale Horticulture Plantation is Dire Need of Humanity’s Survival

With the increasing number of the world population, many economic and non-economic challenges have been faced in countries. Food and medicine needs have increased with the population size. Therefore, agriculture and its branch, horticulture, are in the mainstream worldwide. Horticulture is the branch of agriculture which deals with the small-scale cultivation of vegetables and fruits. Horticulture is the science of knowing about plants and gardening. The word horticulture is a mixture of two Latin words; hortus and culture. Whereas hortus means “garden”, and culture means “the process of growing crops”. Although agriculture provides the majority of nutrients, horticulture provides vitamins and minerals in the form of fruits and vegetables.

Horticulture deals with plants and gardens on a small scale, but on the other hand, agriculture is the name of farming and cultivation on a large scale. Horticulture is growing so fast at the world level because agriculture is not enough to satisfy the food needs of countries. Agriculture covers the growing of crops, plants, and trees and also concerns the processing, storing, and marketing of animals and grain crops in the commercial markets. Horticulture covers the production of vegetables, fruits and other activities such as processing or storing these foods for society on a small scale.

Core Areas Of Horticulture
As in Pakistan, agricultural lands have been changed by societies and colonies. Therefore, horticulture plays a vital role in covering the needs and also contributing to the GDP of Pakistan. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, horticulture earns 21.82 percent of the share of foreign exchange for the country. Half of Pakistan’s labour workforce is related to this sector directly or indirectly. Interestingly, agriculture has 18.9 percent GDP growth because of its large structure and volume of crop cultivation and processes. Therefore, horticulture has been in the main stream for the last decade. According to the stats, in Pakistan, horticulture possesses 3,28,400 orchards, which have a large contribution to the country’s GDP. As compared to agriculture, its contribution is increasing not only to Pakistan’s economy but also to the whole world because of its flexibility in production model.

The biggest example of horticulture is mangoes. In Pakistan, mangoes are very popular and favourite due to their juice taste and pulpy nature. Mangoes are made with the horticulture processes in Pakistan and their contribution to the gross domestic product is greater than other fruits and vegetables. Pakistan is the world’s largest exporter of mangoes due to the taste and variety. In agriculture, mango production is not possible because other crops and livestock production processes will be disturbed. As mangoes trees take time and hold big spaces, horticulture covers the production and processes of fruits especially. But that does not mean agriculture is not important or less important than horticulture. These stats define the specific aspects of the field, which means agriculture deals with a large volume and variety of processes, therefore its contribution is segregated from other industries and sectors. Like cotton and polyester, they shift to the textile industry. Therefore, horticulture’s contribution has a larger figure than agriculture. These two interrelated branches play a significant role in providing and fulfilling the food and medicine needs of the communities.

Will Horticulture Survive Or Thrive!
In Pakistan, agricultural lands have been destroyed by real estate developers, so the remaining fertile lands are used for agricultural purposes. Therefore, as the agriculture sector is improving and thriving, the horticulture section will produce some more fruitful results for Pakistan’s and the world’s economy. That is why experts have adopted a horticulture method for the growth of fruits and vegetables in the country. So, that community would not face a food crisis in the future. According to Simen Sinek, an entrepreneurial executive, “the agriculture and horticulture sectors are the best for investment and development”. Horticulture will be used for fruits and vegetables or flowers. On the other hand, agriculture will be dealing with a large volume of cultivation of crops and seeds. Therefore, horticulture and agriculture will not only survive, but the sector will thrive due to the current world situation. Using horticulture education to improve farm and agricultural productivity, as well as the potential to develop hybrid vigour in crops, is a win-win situation. Horticulture could be made more fruitful and profitable if individuals in Pakistan start taking it seriously. Horticulture is the name of gardening, and the public can use this concept on their farms and lands to fulfill their needs. This practice can also bring environmental sustainability to Pakistan.

Horticulture Is Adding Value To The Farmers & Society
Farmers who cultivate high-value crops like fruits, vegetables, flowers, or herbs regularly make more profit than those who grow other crops. Horticulture has the potential to diversify both agriculturally and economically. Farmers’ living standards and lifestyles are improving because of the horticulture branch and it also provides support to the agriculture and economy of the country. Farmers’ living standards have improved, which means, due to horticulture, community livelihoods are getting better from time to time. Horticulture has many merits and importance to the community over agriculture. Horticulture can benefit individual people and their families by providing a healthy environment and diet-enriching food. Horticulture is gardening, therefore it can be the best source of physical exercise for human beings. With physical exercise, gardening can also provide nutritious food for the community. Other important features of horticulture are also there, like it is a relaxing and stress-free source for family members.

To Sum Up All
Horticulture is a vast and broad field. Almost 42.3 percent of the workforce in Pakistan is related to horticulture activities. This shows the significance of agriculture and its branch, horticulture. In Pakistan, there are hundreds of thousands of orchards and all of them are the source of foreign exchange for the country. Therefore, if the government pays little attention to making agriculture and horticulture better with the help of the latest technology, then Pakistan will not only be able to overcome environmental and sustainable issues but also earn huge foreign exchange. As agriculture and horticulture help countries to overcome sustainable and environmental issues, it also brings more income and better living standards for farmers and people who somehow relate to the field. Pakistan is an agrarian country. Moreover, with the help of horticulture and agriculture, the food and medicine industry can boost itself and increase exports, which ultimately causes benefits for Pakistan. Therefore, the government must design strategies which will boost the horticulture field, which turned out to be the most profitable sector. Horticulture improvement will not only have an impact on farmers and society, but it will be the cause of Pakistan’s GDP growth.

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Category: Lifestyle