Agriculture in Greece

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 3.6% 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.

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).

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 ople'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 2008.
** 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
*** grapes

History of the development of Greek agriculture in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries

19th century

In the 19th century, Greek agriculture was very basic. Implements found in western Europe had not yet appeared. The following description was reported by William Henry Moffett, American Consul in Athens and was published in the American periodical "Garden and Forest" (Volume 2, Issue 95, 18th December 1889, p. 612: published by Garden and Forest Publishing Co., Tribune Building, New York, N.Y.):

:William H. Moffett, United States Consul at Athens, reports the impossibility of making any official statement as to the agriculture of Greece, because "agriculture is here in the most undeveloped condition. Even in the immediate neighborhood of Athens it is common to find the wooden plow and the rude mattock which were in use 2,000 years ago. Fields are plowed up or scratched over, and crops replanted season after season, until the exhausted soil will bear no more. Fertilizers are not used to any appreciable extent, and the farm implements are of the very rudest description. Irrigation is in use in some districts, and, as far as I can ascertain, the methods in use can be readily learned by a study of the practices of the ancient Egyptians. Greece has olives and grapes in abundance, and of quality not excelled; but Greek olive oil and Greek wine will not bear transportation."

20th century

Greek agricultural production was vastly expanded in the 20th century, as per the information given elsewhere on this page. In particular grain production (wheat, barley, etc) has been significantly increased using more modern farming methods.