THE BELGIAN HORTICULTURAL ADVISORY SERVICES

The value of the final horticultural production amounts to some 27 billion Belgian Francs, which is more than 18 percent of the value of the final agricultural production.

A still more significant factor reflecting the relative importance of horticulture is the gross added value, which exceeds by far the percentage of the final production of the agricultural sector considered as a whole.

This statement is fully confirmed by calculations made by our Agricultural Economics Institute, the results of which have been communicated to us but have not yet been published.

This first characteristic is particularly interesting with respect to the motivation of the advisory services, since the specific efforts which have been made in order to promote a rational production within this sector also stimulate employment in this branch.

A second interesting characteristic of horticulture justifying the activities of the advisory services are the less important needs for capital per gross added value (GAV) unit than those prevailing in agriculture.

Thus our Agricultural Economics Institute made researches into this subject for the five-year period from 1970 to 1974; the results of these reseaches are as convincing as the above mentioned results and show that for every Frs. 100 of G.A.V. the agricultural sector as a whole required a much greater investment of capital than the horticultural sector, even if only the exploitation capital is being considered.

As the results of this investigation have not yet been published, it is not due to me to reveal them, out of deference to and respect for the investigators of this Institute.

These two characteristics show that the promotion of employment in horticulture is much more economic and more profitable on a macro-economic level than in agriculture considered as a whole.

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