Hydroponic Vegetable Production | Aggie Horticulture

In the U.S., tomatoes are only exceeded by potatoes in economic importance. Among fresh vegetable products, annual per capita consumption of fresh tomatoes is only exceeded by lettuce and potatoes. Consumption of fresh tomatoes has remained fairly constant at around 12.8 pounds for the past 10 years as compared to the consumption of processed tomatoes in the form of ketchup and sauces which has increased. These growth characteristics only take into account commercial production and do not include the increasing popularity of home gardens. Tomatoes are the most popular backyard garden crop and possibly account for the leveling off of the per capita consumption of fresh tomatoes during the past ten years.