How is Mediterranean Agriculture Practiced?
Question by Anthony: How is Mediterranean Agriculture Practiced?
How does mediterranean agriculture work?
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One Response to How is Mediterranean Agriculture Practiced?
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Mediterranean agriculture is centered on the production of fruits and orchard crops. Olives (fresh, for oil and preserved in brine), dates, figs, grapes (fresh, as juice, wine and raisins), oranges (fresh and as juice) and lemons (fresh and juice) are produced on a commercial scale and for export. Manual labor is used as the land consists of a complex of plains, valleys and mountain slopes. There are cooperatives for collecting, processing and marketing the farm produce. Wheat and barley are planted in the fall to best utilize the winter rains and are harvested in the summer. Sheep and goats are pastured on hill sides, mountain valleys and isolated meadows.
The North African countries have specialized in the production of barley and olive oil. Greece is known for olives, raisins and wine, Italy for wheat and Spain for citrus.
Farming is intensive, highly specialized and varied in the kinds of crops raised. Subsistence agriculture occurs side by side with commercial farming. Most farms are small by US standards. Land use is dependent on such factors as the total amount of precipitation – the length of the summer drought, the availability of melting snow and mountain streams for irrigation and power supply, local soil conditions, the ability of the farmer to finance capital equipment.
The four corners of Mediterranean agriculture are:
1) orchard farming
2) viticulture (grape cultivation)
3) Cereal cultivation, (barley and wheat)
4) Animal husbandry is centered on sheep and goats for milk production (feta cheese) as well as meat. To a lesser extent, chickens, cattle, pigeons are raised and bee keeping is practiced.
Veritas
January 10, 2014 at 8:27 am