Spanish Rural Activities: Agriculture, Livestock, and Tourism
Diversification of Rural Activities
While rural land uses are essentially agricultural and livestock-based, other activities are also of great importance. These include forestry, agroforestry, housing, and the increasingly growing rural tourism sector.
Farm Activities
Farm activities represent 56% of total agricultural income and have experienced significant changes in the last forty years. Cultivated areas have decreased, except for citrus, while production has increased in all products except legumes. Yields have grown continuously.
Cereals
Cereals are the most widespread crop in Spain (41% of total land). They are only exceeded in value by vegetables. Cereal grain and feed grain production is significant.
- Wheat and Barley: Predominantly grown in Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. Wheat production is low compared to the rest of Europe.
- Maize: Concentrated in humid and irrigated areas of Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. Spanish consumption is insufficient, requiring imports.
- Rice: Cultivated in the Ebro Delta, the Albufera of Valencia, the Guadalquivir marshes, and meadows of Guadiana. Production could increase, but growth is limited to avoid surpluses.
The Olive Grove
Spain is the leading producer and exporter of olive oil, though not the top vendor of bottled oil. Oil production is concentrated south of the central region and part of the Ebro Valley.
The Vine
Vineyards are located near olive groves. Excessive amounts of poor-quality wine are produced, largely intended for distillation. Peak production areas include La Mancha, Castilla, La Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Catalonia, Valencia, and the Canary Islands.
Legumes
Chickpeas, beans, and lentils are essential components of the Mediterranean diet, which is becoming less common due to modern diets. Chickpeas are grown in Andalusia and Castile, lentils in Andalusia, Salamanca, and La Mancha, and beans in Castile and Galicia.
Fruit Trees
Citrus and non-citrus fruit trees are typical of both wet and semi-arid Spain. They have high productivity. Citrus exports yield higher returns in eastern Andalusia. Non-citrus fruits are grown in Murcia and the Ebro Valley.
Vegetables
Vegetable production areas coincide with those of fruit, but vegetables occupy the best land and receive more care. This sector has the largest value in agriculture. Some vegetables, such as lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, are important for export. Asparagus is significant in La Rioja and Navarra, melon in Cáceres, tomato in Toledo and Ciudad Real, garlic in Badajoz and Almería, and green beans in Valencia.
Industrial Crops
Key industrial crops include sunflower, sugar beet, tobacco, and cotton. The cultivation of sunflower and sugar beet is expanding, while tobacco production has undergone reconversion. Major sunflower-producing areas are La Mancha and Andalusia. Sugar beet is grown in Castile and Andalusia. Tobacco is cultivated in Cáceres. Pepper for paprika is grown in Murcia and Cáceres. Hops are grown in Barcelona. Soy for the feed industry is grown in Córdoba. Minor crops include anise, lavender, and saffron.
Fodder Crops
Alfalfa, corn fodder, vetch, and oats continue to expand due to insufficient domestic production. Their cultivation extends to Galicia and the irrigated areas of the Duero basin in Castile.