ISHS


Acta
Horticulturae
Home


Login
Logout
Status


Help

ISHS Home

ISHS Contact

Consultation
statistics
index


Search
 
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 536: XIVth International Symposium on Horticultural Economics

ECONOMICS OF APPLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS WITH MINIMAL INPUT OF CHEMICALS

Author:   M.J. Groot
Keywords:   integrated fruit growing, organic, IFP, quality, annuity net present value
DOI:   10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.536.4
Abstract:
The world apple market is tensed, due to an overproduction of apples. In a surplus market with low prices, the production of good quality is essential. Consumers increasingly ask for quality fruit, produced with care for the environment. This means, amongst others, a production with a low input or without any input of chemicals.

In 1990, the Fruit Research Station started on two experimental sites, a comparison of three apple production systems. One production system was based on crop protection, according to the Dutch guidelines for integrated fruit growing (IFP, in Dutch: MBT). In a second system less chemicals were used; lower dosages of the chemicals and restricted to chemicals that are allowed in ground water protection areas. The third system was the so-called minimum system, in which chemicals were, if possible, replaced by biological and mechanical growing techniques. In 1994, another comparison started on one other location, comprising an integrated and an organic apple production system.

Both system comparisons were economically evaluated in two different ways: 1) comparison of returns and costs for the years of the experiment and 2) the calculation of the annuity net present value for the entire expected life span (12 years) of the plantings.

The returns were based on production quantity and quality.

The IFP system gave the best economic results according to both calculation methods. However, differences were found among cultivars of apples. After seven years, problems rose in the minimum system of the first comparison; trees had to be grubbed because of fruit tree canker. This leads to a shorter life span and therefore a lower annuity net present value; higher fruit prices would be needed to compensate for short life span of the orchard. In the second comparison started 1994, the biological system gave lower economic results than the integrated system.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files)

536_3     536     536_5

URL www.actahort.org      Hosted by KU Leuven LIBIS      © ISHS