Total Quality Management in Horticulture: Concepts and Modalities

Abstract

In the changing global scenario, the making of horticultural enterprise more economically vibrant through total quality assurance is a resilient concept and approach as the enterprise is emerging as an avenue for nutritional security, poverty alleviation and employment generation. Nowadays, horticulture crop production has moved from rural confines to commercial ventures and has attracted youth since it has proved to be intellectually satisfying and economically rewarding. In such a growth-oriented situation, the horticultural enterprise is starting the journey in the global market with its table products and postharvest products after complying with the need of the domestic market. But the main issue with the export of the horticultural produce lies in the total quality assurance of the marketed surplus. Quality, the degree of excellence or superiority, is a combination of attributes, properties or characteristics that give each commodity value in terms of its intended use. In the era of globalisation and to uplift the status of the horticultural crop growers and exporters, the need of the hour is to manage the total quality during the production and marketing process of the horticultural produce. That can be obtained through introducing the culture of quality management within all the actors present in the production and marketing chain or value chain.