Agricultural Production in
Spain
Tom Loynachan
January 27, 2010
Outline
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Location
Natural resources
Climate
Soils
Crops
Livestock
Summary
Spain with a population of ca. 46
million people is one of the
largest (50.5 million hectares)
and mountainous countries of
Western Europe.
Ames is 42oN
Barcelona is 41º 23' 12'' N
Airport road is right at 42oN
4474 miles air distance
Des Moines to Madrid
One time zone every 15O
• Des Moines is 7
hours behind
Madrid time.
Length Width
Spain is about 3.5
times larger than
Iowa
Spain
652
miles
632
miles
Iowa
324
miles
210
miles
Total Land Area
• Spain = 504,782 sq km (3rd in Europe)
• Iowa = 145,752 sq km (26th in USA)
– Between California (423,971 sq km) and
Texas (695,622 sq km)
– Twice the size of Oregon (254,806 sq km)
Natural Resources of Spain
• Coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc,
uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites,
magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, kaolin,
potash, hydropower, arable land
A large part is semiarid, with temperatures that
range from extremely cold in the winter to scorching
in the summer. Rainfall, which is often inadequate,
tends to be concentrated in two generally brief
periods during spring and autumn, and summer
droughts occur frequently.
Madrid approx. 17 in/yr
Climate
The climate in Spain is diverse. It is largely affected by altitude and surrounding
oceans. There is a huge difference between the northern and southern climates of
Spain.
• Ames elevation is ca. 950 ft (290m)
• Madrid elevation is ca. 2160 ft (660m)
Land use:
Arable land 31%
Permanent crops 10%
Meadows and pastures 21%
Forest and woodland 31%
Other 7%
Of Spain's 50.5 million ha of land,
20.6 million, or about 40%, are
suitable for cultivation; however, the
soil is generally of poor quality, and
only about 10% of the land can be
considered excellent.
Spanish Soils
• Soil formation is influence by:
– Parent material
– Climate
– Topography
– Biological activity
– Time
Spanish Soil Map
• Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions.
Each region has its own government that shares
administrative responsibilities with the central
government. Each region has a major say in
local agriculture.
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Crops
Corn
Fruit trees and citrus
Vegetables
Grapes
Sunflowers
Sugar beets
Potatoes
Legumes (many edible
beans)
Olive trees
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Fodder grasses
Cereal grains (wheat and
barley)
Onions
Rice
Only about 17 percent of
Spain's cultivated land is
irrigated but accounts for
ca. 40-45% of the gross
value of crop production
and >50% of the value of
agricultural exports.
How big is a hectare?
One hectare = 2.47 acres
One hectare = 10,000 sq. meters or
107,600 sq. ft.
One acre = 4,050 sq. meters or 43,560
sq. ft.
Quick Facts
• 54%, or 25.6 million ha, of the land in Spain is
devoted to agriculture.
• Agriculture produces 3% of the country's wealth
(GDP) and employs 6.4% of its workforce
(720,000).
• There are 1.2 million farms in total of which 4%
cover more than 100 ha.
• The average size of a Spanish farm is 21 ha.
• The average size of a cereal farm is 40 ha.
• The average size of a vegetable farm is 6 ha.
• 27% of the agricultural land used is devoted to
tenant farming.
Agricultural Production Facts
• In inland Spain, most agriculture is based on
cereals, potatoes, oil-producing crops, and
sugar beet production.
• The irrigated zones of the deep valleys and
coastal plains produce citrus fruit and tomatoes.
A large part of this production goes to export.
• Spain's vineyards are widespread throughout
the country.
• Olive groves are also common in Spain, the
world's largest producer of olives and olive oil.
Wine
• Spain has the largest land area of any
country in the world dedicated to the
growing of grapes. Next is France, then
Italy, Turkey, and the United States.
Spain's vine-growing country has
diverse terrain and climatic
conditions. Growing areas vary from
semi-arid southern areas to wet
northern areas while in the central
tableland vines have adapted
to extremely cold, dry winter weather.
Spain has ca. 1.2 million ha in grapes (3 million acres)
Crop Production (MT)
(million)
Crop
Barley
Wheat
Maize
Rice
Potatoes
Olives
Sugar Beets
Citrus Fruits
Cotton, Bananas
Spain Prod.
9 (17%)
5 (5%)
4 (11%)
0.8 (33%)
3 (6%)
3.4 (35%)
8 (7%)
5.1 (59%)
1 MT = ca.
2,200 lbs
EU Prod.
53
105
36
2.4
50
9.7
117
8.7
Forestry
• Forests cover more than one-fourth of the
total land area of Spain, with much of this
woodland in the mountainous regions.
Forestry contributes only a tiny fraction to
Spain’s agricultural production. Important
forestry products are cork, eucalyptus,
oak, pine, and poplar.
Cork
• Spain is the world's second largest
producer of cork after Portugal. The best
quality of cork, used for bottle stoppers,
was grown in Catalonia.
Cork trees can live up to
500 years. Though the
cork may be stripped
every 9 yrs, it takes at
least 40 yrs for the bark to
become commercially
viable.
Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
• Accounted for 39% of overall agricultural
output in 1999
Livestock Production
(million head/tons)
Item
Spain Prod.
EU Prod.
Sheep
24 (25%)
95
Cattle
6.1 (7%)
82
Pigs
26 (21%)
123
Eggs
0.580
Poultry Meat
0.580
Wool
0.031
Swine Production
• No. of head
– Spain 26 million (2009)
• 2nd largest in EU
– Iowa ca. 30 million (no. 1 in USA) (2009)
Cattle Production
• No. of head
– Spain ca. 6,200,000 (2009)
• Mainly in the north
• Spain is the lowest per capita consumer of beef in
the EU
– Iowa ca. 3,600,000 (2004)
Dairy
• Per capita milk consumption (2005) at 119.1
liters/yr is 6th largest in world (Finland, Sweden,
Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain...USA is
15th at 83.9 liters/yr).
• The current Spanish production is not sufficient
for the country's needs and the country is a net
importer of milk and dairy products.
Sheep and Goat Production
• Spain ca. 22.5 million head (2009)
– The significance of sheep farming is its
threefold production uses (milk, meat ,and
wool). (USA approx. 7.8 million head)
• Spain ca. 2.9 million head (2009)
– Goats are raised in the same regions as
sheep and used similarly.
Horses
• Found throughout Spain
• Numbers ???
• There has been an increase in the number
of horses in Spain in recent years due to
the evolution of breeds, economic factors,
the increase in the number of riders,
horse-riding as a sport and for leisure, the
use of horses as pets, and the utilization of
land suitable for grazing.
Fishing
• Spain has ca. the world's fourth
largest fishing fleet. Spaniards
eat more fish per capita than any
other European people except
the Scandinavians. Fishing
accounts for about 1 percent of
GDP. Sardines, mussels, cod,
mackerel, and tuna, most from
the Atlantic Ocean, are the
principal components of the
catch.
Good to Know
Electric supply in Spain is 220 V, 50
Hz and the plugs are of the tworound-pin type.
• The currency is the Euro (€).
Currency can be exchanged at the
airport or at banks (banks are closed
on Saturdays and Sundays). Most
ATMs will allow you to withdraw
money with your credit card...must
know your PIN. Many Spanish stores
will ask for ID (passport) before
accepting your credit card.
Currently 1 Euro = ca. 1.41 dollars (2 pm, 1/27/10).
Summary
• Huge diversity in climate and landforms but soils
generally are poor
• Exporter of grapes, olives, citrus, vegetables,
wine, cork, minerals, and fish products
• 40-45% of world’s olive oil production
• 3rd largest global wine producer
• 4th largest global barley producer
• 4th largest in citrus fruits
• 5th largest global pig producer
It’s Going to Be a Great Trip!
Questions?