THE DEVELOPMENT OF HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTION-ECONOMICS -RETROSPECT AND DEFINITIONS OF FUTURE TASKS

1. Focal points of Economic Research in Horticulture - rough orientation

To focus the attention to the problem horticultural economists face, the abstracts about "Production Economics" in the Horticultural Economics Newsletters have been evaluated. Table 2 shows the results of this activity.

1.1. Most of the reports dealt with the two business functions, the production process (44 %) and operational management (42 %).

1.11. 1/3 of the reports cover the economic aspects of production activities and the profitability of partial sectors.

1.12. In the second place there are publications about economic developments which serve as aids for goal setting and planning.

1.13. In the third place we have the publications about labour management.

1.14. Only in fourth place are publications about planning. But many of the papers which are enumerated under the first points have been worked out form the point of view of planning.

1.2. Approximately 90% of the publications are to a greater extent oriented to practice, whereas only 10 % of them can be regarded as oriented to theory. This is explained by the large proportion of horticultural scientists who are exclusively or partly engaged in advisory services.

1.3. Approximately the same number of publications deal with fruit and vegetable growing but considerably less deal with the growing of ornamental plants.

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