Agriculture in Greece

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Agriculture in Greece is based on small-sized family-owned dispersed units, while the extent of cooperative organisation stays at low comparative levels, against all efforts that have been taken in the last 30 years, mainly under European Union supervision.

Greek agriculture employs 528,000 farmers, 12% of the total labour force. It only produces 7% of the national GDP (about $16 billion annually). A large number of the country's immigrants are employed in the agricultural sector of the economy, as well as construction and public works.

Currently, Greek agriculture is heavily subsidised by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with controversial results. Certain deductions of subsidies are planned within the next decade.

Greece produces a wide variety of crops and livestock products. Fisheries are also playing an important role while forestry plays a secondary role.

[edit] Major agricultural products

Greece's climatic and topographic conditions allow for an extremely large number of crops ranging from tropical (eg bananas) to those more typical of northern climates (eg mushrooms).

[edit] Major crops

• Cereals constitute very important crops mainly for local consumption. Older policies of the Greek state aimed at cereals production being in equilibrium with the country's annual needs. Frequent expansive and defensive wars and the fundamental role of cereal products (mainly bread) in people's nutrition, were two factors that galvanised the former policy.
  • Wheat - Annual production of wheat reached 1.8 million tonnes in 2004 down from 2.1 million tonnes in 1964. Average yield went from 165.3 tonnes per square kilometre in 1964 to 211.3 t/km² in 2004, while the total area harvested decreased from 12,631 km² in 1964 to 8,519 km² in 2004.
  • Barley - Annual production of Barley reached 220,000 million tonnes in 2004 down from 242,000 million tonnes in 1964. Average yield went from 144.91 t/km² in 1964 to 224.97 t/km² in 2004. The total area harvested decreased from 1670 km² in 1964 to 978 km² in 2004.
  • Maize
• Oil seeds
  • Olive
  • Sunflower
  • Soybean
• Cotton
• Tobacco
• Potatoes
• Sugar beet
• Vegetables
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Lettuce
  • Eggplant
  • Cucumbers
  • Green Peppers
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Cabbage
  • Broccoli
• Fresh fruits
  • Citrus
    • Oranges
    • Lemons