General Information
· Main climates: Subtropical Dry Summer
· Total land area: 13 199 000 ha
· Internal renewable water resources: 45.1 km3
· Incoming water flow: 13.5 km3
· GNP per capita, 1998: PPP$ 13 994
· Main food consumed: Wheat, Oil & Fat, Meat, Milk, Sugar & Honey
· Rice supply, 1999: 11.3 kg paddy/capita/year
Basic Statistics
|
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
2000 |
|
RICE |
|
|
|
|
|
Harvested area (T ha) |
16.85 |
16.5 |
26.1 |
23.0 |
|
Yield (kg/ha) |
6154 |
6000 |
8105 |
7826 |
|
Production (T t) |
103.7 |
99.0 |
211.5 |
180.0 |
|
Imports (T t) |
7.41 |
4.67 |
6.43 |
NA |
|
Exports (T t) |
12.53 |
5.59 |
49.6 |
NA |
|
OTHERS |
|
|
|
|
|
Population (M) |
9.93 |
10.22 |
10.48 |
NA |
|
Agr population (M) |
2.18 |
1.91 |
1.66 |
NA |
|
Irrigated agr area (T ha) |
1099 |
1195 |
1328 |
NA |
|
Fertilizer cons (T t) |
685 |
685.1 |
505.0 |
NA |
|
Agr tractor in use (T units) |
183.4 |
215.7 |
236.1 |
NA |
Producing Zones and Cropping Seasons
Rice is planted in only few places. The following table shows the harvested areas from different producing zones.
|
Production Zone |
Harvested area (% of total harvested area) |
|
Thessaloniki |
65.52 |
|
Serres |
18.28 |
|
Imathia |
8.16 |
|
Pieria |
2.52 |
|
Fthiotida |
1.72 |
|
Others |
3.80 |
Rice is grown once a year.
|
Cropping season |
Planting |
Harvesting |
|
Main season |
4-5 |
10-11 |
Production Practices
Rice is planted only under irrigated conditions, in medium to large and highly mechanised farms. Direct seeding by broadcasting is the popular method of crop establishment. Rice crops are applied with adequate rate of fertilizers and other agro-chemicals for crop protection. The improvement of land levelling using laser system and the introduction of integrated rice crop management system has significantly increased rice yield during the recent past. Rice varieties belong to japonica subspecies.
|
Variety Name |
Planted location |
Growth duration (days) |
|
Axios |
Serres |
140 |
|
Ispaniki A |
Thessaloniki |
140 |
|
Lido |
Serres |
135-140 |
|
Makedonia |
Thessaloniki |
135-140 |
|
Roxani |
Fthiotida |
140 |
|
Strymonas |
Fthiotida |
140 |
|
Thaibonnet |
Thessaloniki, Imathia, Pieria |
135-140 |
Constraints and Issues of Sustainable Production
There are several constraints to sustainable rice production in Greece. Followings are the major:
Low temperature
Stagnation of the yield potential of rice varieties
High production costs
Blast
Dependent on external market for the product
The opening of rice market under WTO would have important effect on production. Also, rice production will be affected by the population's concern on environmental degradation.
Research and Development Institutes
· Agricultural Research Centre of Macedonia and Thrace, P.O. Box 311, Thermi, 570 01 Thessaloniki, Phone: (031) 471110 Fax: (031) 471209
· National Agricultural Research Foundation, Cereal Institute, P.O.Box 312, 57001 Thermi-Thessaloniki, Fax 30-31-471209
· Cereal Institute, P.O. Box 312, 57001 Thermi-Thessaloniki, Greece; Tel (30) 31 47 15 44; Fax (30) 31 47 12 09.
· Cereal Research Institute, North Greece Agricultural Research Centre, P.O. Box 10514 Georgiki Sholi, 541 10 Thessaloniki, Phone: (031) 471544 Telex: 412130 ASNI GR Fax: (031) 471209
