Spanish agricultural production.

Agricultural production brings together all activities related to the cultivation of plants as well as the breeding of animals as well as the harvesting of food or non-food products. This includes the management of agricultural land, the use of natural resources such as water and soil. How does Spain organize its agricultural production?

Citrus fruits in Spain for 2023/2024.

For the 2023/2024 agronomic campaign, Spain plans to produce 5,754 million tonnes of citrus fruits, with a slight increase of 0.4% compared to last year, but a decrease of 14.4% compared to to the five-year average. Despite extreme weather conditions, orange production remains dominant at 2,643 million tonnes, while lemons will reach a record of 1,167 million tonnes. Spain remains the world leader in citrus fruits, exporting an average of 3.3 billion euros per season.

Trade surplus and agricultural position.

In 2023, Spain recorded an agri-food trade surplus of 15.5 billion euros, confirming its position as an agricultural superpower in Europe. Olive oil production fell sharply to 666,000 tonnes due to recurring droughts, with a modest forecast of 766,000 tonnes for 2024. Meat production, mainly pork, reached 7.62 million tonnes, making Spain the 3rd world producer with a strong presence of white and Iberian pigs.

The challenges of Spanish agriculture.

Prolonged drought and unusually high temperatures in Spain have exacerbated agricultural challenges despite the development of more efficient irrigation, creating an illusion of abundance. The high costs of fertilizers and other inputs, combined with low purchasing power and difficulties in accessing credit, have marginalized small farmers, particularly women, who struggle to adopt new technologies. Farmer protests on the French-Spanish borders have paralyzed main roads, highlighting growing tensions in Europe's agricultural sector.

Position of Spain in the world.

Spain occupies a leading position in the global agricultural sector, standing out in several key aspects. With the largest useful agricultural area in the EU-15, covering 25 million hectares, it surpasses France. The country is renowned for its diversity and volume of plant production such as fruits, vegetables, olive oil and wine. Its pork and beef meat sectors are very competitive. Despite natural, climatic and structural challenges, Spain maintains a leading position thanks to its 18 million hectares of cultivated land, of which 4.3 million are irrigated, and its 7 million hectares of meadows and pastures.

The place of agriculture in Spain.

Out of a total of 1,633,000 hectares which are irrigated, this represents 3.2% of the national territory and 10% of cultivated land. The distribution of economic sectors is as follows: 49% for the primary sector, 26% for the secondary sector, and 25% for the tertiary sector. Among the active population, 42% are farmers and fishermen, while 21.3% work in industry, including 1.4% in mining activities.
Fortunately, farmers are not short of land to cultivate.