Greece is the third European “power” in rice cultivation – 2/3 of the production is exported

In caller years, the cultivation of rice has been increasingly developing successful Greece. According to estimates by those progressive successful this crop, atom areas successful Greece present magnitude to 300,000 hectares, with accumulation reaching 270,000 tonnes of atom with husk oregon 150,000 tonnes of “pure” rice. In addition, the aforesaid estimates constituent to a ample fig of atom producers, reaching up to 10,000 successful Greece, a fig that would not beryllium astonishing if it were to increase, considering the bully prices successful atom comparative to those successful fabric and corn.

Greece is successful 3rd spot among European Union subordinate states down archetypal Italy and 2nd Spain, with Portugal successful 4th place.

“Last twelvemonth the cultivated areas accrued by 10%, portion this twelvemonth they whitethorn summation by up to 15%” the President of the Interprofessional Organization of Rice, Giannis Arnaoutelis, told the AP, saying, however, that “all this, of course, successful bid to hap we indispensable person capable water.

Climate alteration has understandably affected this crop. The scarce rainfall and snowfall successful erstwhile years has resulted successful insufficient h2o and producers are facing difficulties. All this, considering that atom farming is simply a harvest that is virtually produced successful water.

“Due to the shortage of water, yields successful the tract person been affected. Of course, h2o scarcity is simply a large contented for us. If it doesn’t rainfall and snowfall determination are problems,” said Mr. Arnaoutelis and added “but this twelvemonth is expected to beryllium an fantabulous year” and helium explained “already determination are important amounts of h2o from the rainfall and from the snowfall that fell successful the past months successful our country.”

The h2o contented is astir important successful Macedonia, a portion wherever up to 70% of Greece’s full accumulation is located. According to the president of the Interprofessional Association, farmers determination person to woody with h2o shortages owed to the absorption of rivers from different countries wherever they initially walk through.

“Apart from the Aliakmon, which is managed wholly by us, determination is the Axios River, which earlier it reaches our country, passes done the neighboring country, which ‘arranges’ the quantities that volition yet scope us, aft they archetypal conscionable their ain needs,” helium said and continued “the aforesaid is existent successful the Evros region, wherever the stream is besides controlled by Bulgaria earlier it ends up spilling into the Aegean.

Two-thirds of accumulation is exported

The precocious prime of Greek atom besides seems to beryllium preferred by overseas countries, destination of 2/3 of the full production.

“One 3rd of the full accumulation covers home needs and the remaining 2 thirds are destined for export,” Arnaoutelis said.

The main destination of Greek atom connected planetary markets are the countries of the Mediterranean basin, Poland, Turkey and, supra all, the Middle East.

The problems

As it is logical, not everything is rosy for the manufacture which, isolated from the deficiency of water, is the upwind conditions that prevail during the harvesting of the last product.

The terms is besides an issue. “This merchandise is marketable. We person to vie with accepted countries successful atom cultivation, specified arsenic Italy and Spain, which is not easy,” helium noted.

Another issue, according to the president of the Interprofessional Rice Organization, is the strictness of the European Union regarding the usage of pesticides. “The EU is strict with nutrient prime assurance and with pesticides. That is wherefore it wants producers to usage much ‘light’ pesticides to combat pests successful their productions,” Arnaoutelis told APE-MPA.

He continued “this results successful the request for larger quantities of pesticides, expanding costs for farmers and astatine the aforesaid clip reducing their production. If much businesslike pesticides are not used, past accumulation goes down.”

Finally, speaking astir the constitution of the Interprofessional Committee for Rice, helium stresses that it has resulted successful “bringing accumulation and processing person together. This has resulted successful america sitting together, trying to find solutions to the problems we have. In addition, we are trying done programs to enactment Greek atom successful new, much profitable markets.”