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Preparation Activity The Fresh Horticultural Products, Yanis D. Lara Pérez…
Preparation Activity The Fresh Horticultural Products
Definition
Horticultural products are fundamental foods in the human diet.
They are perishable due to endogenous factors (enzymatic reactions) or exogenous factors (physical-chemical agents).
Farmers use various preservation methods to extend their shelf life and make them non-perishable.
Methods include heat treatment, non-microbial treatments (removal of water, increase in solid content, chemical preservatives), and low-temperature methods.
Scope of the Vegetable Preservation Sector
The agri-food sector involves two main phases: the production of agricultural raw materials and final food products for consumption.
Integration and diversification processes are common in the agri-food system.
Diversification leads to divisions in activities related to fieldwork and handling and packaging for fresh consumption.
Handling encompasses the transformation of agricultural products into food products.
Production and Seasonality
Production in horticultural handling varies seasonally.
Peak production months are March-June and November-December, with June being the highest.
Low production months are January-February and July-October.
Different orientations (fruits, citrus, vegetables, mixed) have variable seasonal patterns.
Citrus production has less pronounced seasonality.
Vegetable production shows the least seasonality due to staggered crop cycles.
Mixed production combines different products, resulting in fluctuating activity levels.
Business Structure and Investment
Companies are usually cooperatives, but there are also agricultural transformation companies, while joint-stock or limited companies are less common.
The presence of foreign capital is limited and is mainly found in commercial companies.
Social capital mainly comes from the local and regional areas.
There are few companies belonging to business groups, but some have stakes in other companies in the agri-food chain.
Seasonality leads to a significant presence of fruit companies that work only a few months a year.
The location of crops determines the location of companies, with the availability of water as the main element.
Yanis D. Lara Pérez
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