Spain Agriculture Profile

Since of declining relative significance due of the industrial boom, agriculture is still important. It provides livelihoods for about 10 % of the Spanish people and supplies a little larger %age of the nation's exports.

Farming is hard throughout most of Spain. In general, it is disadvantaged by the dry climate, poor soils, and severe erosion. Enhancement of agriculture has been incomplete, partly because of the slow adoption of modern farming methods and machinery. In irrigation, on the other hand, the nation has made important gains.

maybe the greatest barrier to the development of agriculture is the landholding system, whereby a significant part of the farmland is held in large estates by absentee owners. Such estates, which are most frequent in central and southern Spain, are worked by tenants and hired laborers in much the same manner as they have been for centuries. The remaining land, outside of the large estates, is held primarily in farms so small that they can barely support the families that work them. As a result, many people from rural areas have moved to cities in search of work.

Wheat, barley, and other cereals are the chief crops, mainly in north-central and central Spain. Sugar beets, a major industrial crop, are grown mainly in the Ebro Valley. Also produced in large amounts are olives, grapes, citrus fruits, tomatoes and other vegetables, corn, rice, and cotton. Spain is a world leader in the production and export of wine and olive oil. It is also one of the great exporters of citrus fruits, mainly oranges from Valencia.

Sheep, raised largely for wool, are the most numerous farm animals. Also numerous are goats. Both are grazed on land too dry or otherwise unsuited for crops. Hogs and poultry are major sources of Spain's meat. Dairying and cattle raising are becoming increasingly important, replacing other agricultural activities in some areas. Burros, mules, and horses are also raised, primarily as draft and pack animals. In some parts, such as Salamanca province and Andalusia, the raising of fighting bulls is a specialty.

Fishing, Forestry,

Spain has long been one of Europe's leading fishing countries. The catch consists mainly of hake, cod, tuna, sardines, mussels, and squid and octopus. The majority of the catch is marketed fresh; the rest is largely frozen, cured, or canned, partly for export. The fishing fleet is made up of oceangoing and coastal vessels, most of which operate out of north coast (Atlantic Ocean) ports, especially La Corua and Vigo.

The forests of Spain, after centuries of wasteful cutting, are now largely depleted, making widespread reforestation necessary. Only slightly more than 5 % of the land is in forests of commercial value, and most of that lies in the northern mountains. Lumber, cork, resin, and turpentine are the chief products. In cork production Spain is a world leader.