Climate change and horticulture
Horticulture is a diverse agricultural industry that includes fruit, vegetables, nuts, nursery, vines (grapes for wine), extractive crops (essential oils), cut flowers and turf (or grass).
Horticulture is a $7 billion dollar industry in Australia. In NSW more than 10,000 people are employed in horticulture, producing more than $1 billion in farm gate value.1
There are very different production systems across the range of horticulture industries, each with their own vulnerabilities to potential impacts posed by climate change.
Impacts also vary geographically, as some industries in some areas of NSW may benefit from climate change, while other producers may find production impaired over time.
From left: Oranges, pears and lychees