IMPORTANCE OF TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL HORTICULTURE

Article number

460_1

Pages

11 – 12

Language

Abstract

In 1994, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) statistical data, world production of cereals amounted to 1.95 billion tonnes, representing 1.623 billion tonnes of edible matter and 162 million tonnes of protein (dry biomass). World production of roots and tubers reached 583 million tonnes, representing 156 million tonnes of edible matter and 10 million tonnes of protein.
The production of legumes, oilseeds and oilnuts was 387 million tonnes, the edible matter and protein representing 263 and 88 million tonnes, respectively.

Word production of vegetables and melons amounted to 486 million tonnes, that of fruits 388 million tonnes, with the following respective figures for edible matter and protein: 57 and 5 million tonnes for vegetables, and 53 and 2 million tonnes for fruits.

The overall 1994 output for vegetables and fruits of 874 million tonnes represented between one-fifth and one sixth of world food production which amounted to 4.743 billion tonnes. In terms of edible matter and protein (at zero moisture content, excluding inedible hulls and shells), the figures were: 110 and 7 million tonnes, respectively, of a total 2.456 billion and 343 million tonnes.

In 1995, world production of cereals amounted to 1.88 billion tonnes, that of root crops 589 million tonnes, including 271 million tonnes of potatoes; that of pulses reached 57 million tonnes. World production of vegetables and melons amounted to 485 million tonnes, while that of fruits reached 392 million tonnes, including around 89 million tonnes of citrus fruits and 56 million tonnes of bananas.

Vegetable and melon, and fruit production (in million tonnes) was distributed in the various regions as follows:

	Vegetables and melons	Fruits
North and Central America	44.16	53.17
Europe	66.98	53.17
Africa	35.20	54.06
Asia	292.41	142.24
Pacific	2.60	5.62
South America	16.06	60.95

Regarding citrus fruit production in 1995, the FAO figures (in million tonnes) were:

	Lemons and limes	Oranges	Tangerines	Grapefruit and pomelo
World	7.684	61.783	0.196	5.352
Africa	0.574	4.411	0.831	0.429
North and Central America	1.747	14.908	0.615	3.185
South America	1.602	21.129	1.372	0.350
Asia	2.480	15.049	4.855	1.308
Europe	1.241	5.381	2.458	0.043
Pacific	0.040	0.638	0.065	0.036