INITIATING A BUSINESS FOR ESTABLISHING A MODERN QUINCE CULTIVATION IN SOUTHWESTERN ROMANIA - A PROFITABLE SOLUTION FOR THE FUTURE.

The quince is a fruit tree species that occupies 2% of the total orchard area in Romania. It can be utilized considering that quince is a fruit species used for ornamental purposes, for protective hedges, as a pollen-rich plant, for obtaining rootstock seedlings, in medicine, and the food industry. Following the identification of eco-pedological factors influencing the growth and development of quinces and the implementation of the stages underlying quince cultivation technology, it has been demonstrated that, in the pedoclimatic conditions of South Western Romania, establishing and exploiting a quince orchard is a highly profitable and interesting business with low investment and high returns. This fruit species yields abundantly, produces a large quantity of fruits, the production costs are low and can be recovered in a short time, the inter-row spaces can be used for intermediate crops, and the attractive selling price and the scarcity of quinces on the market provide the entrepreneur with an attractive income, making the business economically efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]