Spain's Economic Pillars: Agriculture and Livestock Dynamics

Spain's Economic Landscape: Agriculture and Livestock

Spain is a country that enjoys the advantages of developed nations, most notably a high per capita income and a high level of consumption.

Agriculture Sector

Spain has a modern, market-oriented agriculture characterized by the following features:

• Prevalence of intensive farming.
• Use of new technologies.
• Specialization of cultivos (crops) by region.
• Existence of more prepared staff.
• Crops intended for export and the food industry.

However, current Spanish agriculture faces many problems and challenges:

• The abandonment of agricultural actividad (activity).
• The use in various areas of traditional irrigation systems, which consume a lot of water.
• The fulfillment of conditions required by the EU.
• Difficulties for some products to compete in international markets.
• Demand for land in rural areas for other more profitable activities.

Main Crops in Spain

Dryland Crops

These occupy most of the cultivated land. The main crops are:

• Grains
• Legumes
• Olive
• Vine

Irrigated Crops

The extent of irrigated land is less than that of rainfed land, but these crops provide the bulk of production and agricultural income. Key highlights include:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Industrial crops
• Fodder crops
• Rice

Livestock Sector

In the second half of the twentieth century, the dominance of traditional livestock systems shifted to a new farming system with the following features:

• There are numerous intensive livestock farms.
• Cattle are stabled on farms, and production goes to the food industry.
• Animals are fed with feed, and some tasks have been mechanized, leading to a great aumento (increase) in productivity.
• The introduction of alien species.
• The specialization of production.

Among the recent problems that have affected Spanish livestock are diseases such as plague and the need to import food for animals.

Current Livestock Systems in Spain

Currently, two different farming systems coexist in Spain:

Extensive Traditional Farming Systems

This system is in decline in many areas. It includes the following types of livestock:

• Cattle: Primarily localized in the fields of northern Spain and is for the production of meat and milk.
• Sheep: Bred in grasslands of the peninsula and is dedicated to the production of milk, queso (cheese), meat, and wool.
• Swine: Characteristic of rangelands in the western part of the peninsula, most notably the Iberian pig.
• Goats: Typical of arid and mountainous southern Spain and the Canary Islands. Dedicated to the production of milk and cheese.

Modern Intensive Farming Systems

These include two main types of cattle:

• Swine: Bred species for meat production, located in the northeast mainland, other Mediterranean areas, and the interior.
• Poultry: Dedicated to the breeding of chickens for meat and eggs. It is located, especially in Castilla-La Mancha, Castile and León, Catalonia, and Andalusia.