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In 1997, rice was grown in 12 of 49 countries and/or territories in Europe. Rice is grown only under irrigation during the hot summer. Japonica sub-species is dominant. In Eastern Europe rice production had increased rapidly from about only 359,000 tons in 1961 to about 2,865,000 tons in 1988. Since 1989, rice production in this sub-continent rapidly decreased reaching to only 445,000 tons in 1997. Rice yields in Eastern Europe decreased from its peak at about 3.7 tons/ha in 1980 to about 2.8 to 3.0 tons/ha in 1992-94; and since then they have remained more or less unchanged. On the other hand, the harvested area decreased from about 688,000 ha in 1989 to only 220,000 ha in 1994 and then stablized at this level untill 1997.
Rice production in Western Europe has steadily but slowly increased from about 1.48 million tons in 1961 to about 2.69 million tons in 1997. The production increases were due more to the expansion of cultivated area, which was increased from about 278,000 ha in 1961 to 434,000 ha in 1997. During 1960s, rice yields in Western Europe were among the world highest. Regardless of the favorable climatic conditions; e.g. long day, low night temperature and plenty of sunshine during reproductive and maturity phases, rice yields in Western Europe, however, have not increased much during the last 30 years, with the possible exception of rice yields in Greece, where a national average of about 8 tons/ha was recently obtained.
Rice is not a staple food of most of the European population. However, rice consumption in the continent has recently increased due to immigration and diversification in diet of the European. Sustainable rice production in Europe, especially in the Eastern part, needs new orientations in policy and strategies. |
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