Tainan, Taiwan
October 23, 2006
Source:
AVRDC - The World Vegetable
Center
Vegetables are the fastest expanding crop sector in the world.
More and more arable land is being turned over to vegetable
production worldwide - mainly at the expense of fiber crops and
cereals.
The
expansion of vegetable production in China has been particularly
significant, having grown almost as fast as its economy, at
almost 6% per year over most of the last 20 years. Expansion of
vegetable production has exceeded 3% per annum in other
developing countries in Asia and in developed countries.
Worldwide, the area of arable land devoted to vegetables is
expanding at 2.8%; higher than fruits (1.75%), oil crops
(1.47%), root crops (0.44%) and pulses (0.39%), and at the
expense of cereals (-0.45%), and fiber crops (-1.82%).
Percent Annual Growth of
Area Planted to Fruits & Vegetables as Percent of Arable
Land vis-à-vis Other Crops,
1980-2002. |
|
COUNTRY AND GROUPS
|
VEGETABLES
|
FRUITS
|
|
CEREALS
|
ROOT CROPS
|
PULSES
|
OIL CROPS
|
FIBER CROPS
|
|
Brazil |
(0.77) |
1.33 |
|
(1.02) |
(1.91) |
(0.13) |
1.04 |
(5.80) |
|
China |
5.93 |
5.95 |
|
(2.47) |
(1.79) |
(2.45) |
0.39 |
(2.86) |
|
India |
2.46 |
2.93 |
|
(0.15) |
1.53 |
(0.30) |
1.25 |
(0.89) |
|
Sub-Saharan Africa |
1.83 |
0.74 |
|
1.75 |
2.34 |
2.74 |
1.32 |
(0.13) |
| Asia
Developing |
3.86 |
3.38 |
|
(0.63) |
(0.51) |
(0.61) |
1.16 |
(2.09) |
|
Latin America & Caribbean |
0.24 |
(0.03) |
|
(0.85) |
(1.15) |
0.29 |
1.57 |
1.77 |
|
Developed Countries |
3.30 |
2.37 |
|
(0.28) |
0.69 |
0.11 |
1.29 |
(2.26) |
|
Developing Countries |
1.19 |
1.59 |
|
(0.43) |
(0.76) |
(0.18) |
2.02 |
(4.13) |
|
World |
2.80 |
1.75 |
|
(0.45) |
0.44 |
0.39 |
1.47 |
(1.82) |
|
Source: FAO STAT 2006 data
(analysis by C. Clavero) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
While the global area planted to vegetables is expanding fast,
productivity improvements over the last two decades have only
been about half that of cereals, oil crops and fiber crops. This
looks like a major opportunity for more research investment in
the world's fastest growing cropping sector.
Nonetheless, vegetable production increases have been better
than those of pulses, rootcrops, and fruits. With a 1.18% annual
average increase in productivity, vegetables lag behind improved
productivity of oil crops (2.44%), fiber crops (1.99%), and
cereals (1.72%), but run ahead of pulses (1.01%), root crops
(0.67%), and fruits (0.27%).
Improved vegetable productivity has been highest in Brazil
(2.57%), and the developing countries of Asia, and lowest in
sub-Saharan Africa (0.53%). While Africa has made more
improvements in vegetable yields than in cereal yields, there
are lots of opportunities for research there to further improve
vegetable performance.
|
Percent annual growth in
productivity of fruits and vegetables vis-a-vis other
crops, 1980-2002. |
|
COUNTRY AND GROUPS
|
VEGETABLES
|
FRUITS
|
CEREALS
|
ROOT CROPS
|
PULSES
|
OIL CROPS
|
FIBER CROPS
|
|
Brazil |
2.57 |
0.35 |
2.85 |
0.96 |
3.20 |
2.63 |
1.75 |
|
China |
1.24 |
2.73 |
2.34 |
1.33 |
2.54 |
2.85 |
1.84 |
|
India |
1.44 |
1.02 |
2.37 |
1.92 |
2.03 |
2.53 |
3.08 |
|
Sub-Saharan Africa
|
0.53 |
0.33 |
0.39 |
0.73 |
(0.37) |
0.32 |
2.46 |
|
Asia Developing |
1.73 |
0.65 |
2.10 |
1.35 |
1.30 |
3.55 |
2.04 |
|
Latin America & Caribbean |
1.38 |
0.37 |
2.31 |
1.03 |
1.89 |
2.28 |
0.20 |
|
Developed Countries |
1.05 |
0.24 |
2.00 |
1.50 |
2.18 |
1.97 |
2.47 |
|
Developing Countries |
1.70 |
0.50 |
1.79 |
0.65 |
0.91 |
2.82 |
2.00 |
|
World |
1.18 |
0.27 |
1.72 |
0.67 |
1.01 |
2.44 |
1.99 |
Source: FAO STAT 2006 data
(analysis by C. Clavero) |
|
