Farming In Greece

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 70, Issue 1, 15 January 1945, Page 3

Farming In Greece

By

A. C. BURGESS,

Instructor in Agriculture, New Plymouth.

SOLDIERS serving overseas with the New Zealand Division have frequently been able to make close observation of the social and economic life of the peoples of occupied countries. The author of this article has recently returned to New Zealand, and he comments interestingly on Greek rural life and agriculture as observed by a soldier in the campaign in that country, and discusses possibilities of post-war rehabilitation of Greece.

ONE of the most widely-repeated remarks made by New Zealanders who “visited” Greece with the New Zealand Division in the spring of 1941 was, “Isn’t it like New Zealand!” In some ways this is correct, mainly because of the similar nature of the country. Athens, the capital of Greece, is rather like Wellington in the manner in which it is situated, on a harbour and surrounded by hills. Topography After leaving Athens the road runs along a flat valley through olive groves and vineyards and then climbs the Daphni hills, covered with pine forests. It then descends to the plains of Thebes, and one is immediately struck by the beauty of the scene and the thought of what high-quality land there is in the valley. This valley probably does contain some of the best land in the country, but the soil is light and it is inclined to be stony and the rainfall is very low. Flowering shrubs present a very pretty scene in springtime, as do poppies, which grow prolifically among cereal crops, but no doubt the traveller admires them far more than does the farmer, to whom they are a serious weed, which merely reduces the yield of his crops. The plains of Thebes are narrow and do not extend for many miles, and the country becomes hilly and poor before reaching Thermopylae, where it is mountainous. Then the road drops to sea level, crosses a swampy flat, and rises to Lamia and hilly country beyond. Fertile plains extend for some miles round Larissa and are the main wheat-growing lands of Greece. North of these plains the central portion of the country becomes hilly and of very poor quality, supporting only a few sheep and goats and growing stunted fruit and olive trees. It is like this with few exceptions right up to the northern borders of Greece. On the east coast, however,' after crossing the bush- and snow-covered Mt. Olympus (9,794 ft. the road runs along a fertile coastal belt from Katerine north to Salonika and beyond. Farming practice in Greece is very different from that to which we in

New Zealand have become accustomed. Fenced paddocks, cattle grazing in herds, and modern farm implements are a recognised part of our farm economy, whereas they are practically unknown to the Greek farmer. Soil and Climate Soil and climatic conditions in Greece compare very unfavourably with those of the main agricultural countries. Hills and mountains cover 70 per cent, of the total area, and the valleys are of low fertility. The rainfall is one of the lowest in Europe, and is very unevenly distributed throughout the year

and consequently yields of staple foodstuffs are low. Figures taken from statistics of the Rome International Institute of Agriculture show that during the period 1926/30 the average yield per acre of wheat and oats was about 11 bushels, while that of barley was about 15 bushels to the acre. Holdings generally are very small, over 35 per cent, being less than 2 acres, while the average-sized holding is about 11 acres. The low yields and small size of holdings made the income of the farmer so low that it was insufficient to maintain his family under normal market prices. The State, in order to protect the farming community from starvation, was thus forced to raise the internal price of foodstuffs, often twice as high as that for which the same goods could be imported. The average gross income of a farmer under these conditions was 23,000 drachmas, i.e., approximately £4O sterling. This amount, less costs of seeds and fertilisers, maintenance costs, taxes, etc., was the average net income of a family of five.

Living Conditions Living conditions as seen by New Zealand soldiers were extremely poor. One small, 2-roomed house would probably shelter 7-8 people, perhaps three generations of one family. Furniture is often not used at all, and the entire family sleep on the floor of the living room. Hens and sheep run round the yard, while the family cow and donkey occupy a stable built as a lean-to on the house. The consumption of butter, sugar, and meat is considered a luxury, the yearly consumption of sugar being only 251 b. 'and that of butter less than 21b. Fresh cheese made from goats’ milk is a common item of the diet. A typical peasant family, living in the foothills overlooking the Aegean Sea, billeted four New Zealand soldiers for a short time before the German invasion. In the family were an old man and his wife, their son and daughter aged 14 and 17, and their daughter’s baby, aged about 9 months. The daughter’s husband was fighting in Albania. The house had two rooms, one occupied by the soldiers, the other by the family, all of whom slept on the floor. They owned a cow and a donkey and each day mother, father, and son went off to work their land, a section of about lj acres near the village. The main crops grown were oats and tobacco, together with a few vegetables, producing little more than sufficient to keep the family for the year. Many peasants used to sow thistle as a vegetable, and this they gathered from among the cereal crops. Only once in three weeks did that family have meat to eat, and that consisted of a few rib bones of a sheep that had been killed and divided among several families. As it was a special meal, the soldiers were invited to share it.

Greece, like all Balkan countries, is a highly malarious area, and with the poor living conditions of the farming population malaria and tuberculosis are very prevalent.

Owing to sickness and poor crops most farmers were forced to borrow extensively from the Agricultural Bank or from private money-lenders, and it is estimated that the average farmer with an income of 23,000 drachmas was in debt to the extent of 14,700 drachmas. Further, transport facilities inside Greece and communications with outside countries are very poor. When we consider that the’ above refers to pre-war conditions, it is not difficult to realise what conditions must have been like during the past 3J years,. when imports of foodstuffs and livestock have been practically nil and while those resources which were available have been drawn on first by the German army of occupation. Hard-Working Peasants The peasants of Greece are very hard-working. New • Zealand soldiers, when in Greece, were amazed to see children from 8-10 years old doing heavy manual labour in the fields with the older members of the family, and to see old women weighed down with heavy loads of firewood. While Greece was at war with Italy women and children were forced to work on road maintenance, in addition to working their land, as the majority of the younger men were in the army. Although the estimated figure for cultivated land is about 20 per cent., this is due to the nature of the country and not to the lack of diligence on the part of the farmer. Fertile areas on hillsides too steep for a horse and plough were cultivated by hand. Post-war Rehabilitation The problem of rehabilitating Greece and bringing her back to her rightful place among the nations of Europe is a very difficult one. The country has been ravaged by war, public services such as railways, roads, and harbour installations have been damaged, and, through lack of food, infant mortality has risen to an alarming figure. The main problems which confront the United Nations in their efforts to help Greece are: What can Greece herself produce most efficiently, and therefore if her production has to be modified, what imports will be required to maintain her people on a reasonable standard of living? A group of agriculturists in occupied Greece recently reported on the state of agriculture in the country, and the following discussion is based on their findings. REQUIREMENTS OF GREECE FOR REHABILITATION. 1. Agricultural machinery. 2. Livestock. 3. Machinery for irrigation. 4. Seeds and fertilisers.

5. Rebuilding roads, houses, and farm buildings. 6. Reclamation and drainage works. 7. Ships and rail transport. 1. Even before the war modern agricultural machinery was not commonly used and now practically none is available. Ploughing was done, with bullocks or mules drawing an antiquated wooden beam plough which did little more than scratch - the surface. , With proper cultivation and good machinery the. yields of crops could no doubt be increased considerably. Tractors, ploughs, discs, harrows, rollers, and harvesting machinery will be an immediate necessity.' 2. The numbers of livestock carried have always been small, due to poor pastures and poor climatic conditions. It. is interesting to study the figures from the 1937 census of the numbers of .various types of livestock: Bulls .... 494,925 Sheep .. 1,451,326 Cows . . 502,634 Goats . . . 5,288,194 Buffaloes 66,992 Pigs .... 464,619 Horses .. 371,504 Asses . . . 411,175 Mules ... 186,072 Poultry 13,329,903 It will be noticed that the number of bulls is nearly as great as that of cows. This is due to the common use of bulls as draught animals. Some of the cows, and the buffaloes, horses, mules, and asses are also used for draught purposes. Another point of interest is the number of goats,- which produce only a small amount of milk and are probably responsible in part for the poorness of much of the hill country. The increased use of tractors for farm work and a reduction in the number of horses, mules, and asses would allow more dairy cattle to be carried, and a reduction in the number of goats would allow more sheep to be carried on the poorer land. Before the war the average number of cows and draught animals imported yearly to maintain the numbers carried was 100,000. As this import has ceased since 1939, and as the demands of the German army since 1941 have been heavy, there are only small numbers of inferior animals left. 3. Irrigation is considered to have great possibilities in increasing the yields of crops, as rainfall is in many cases the limiting factor. For any extensive irrigation scheme machinery for pumping would be required. 4. The soils in Greece generally are deficient in phosphate and nitrogen. Increased use of artificial fertilisers would help considerably to increase yields. Supplies of good crop seeds would also need to be made available. 5. In all the European countries which have been affected by war extensive building programmes will have to be undertaken before any large development of industries can be attempted. In many cases farm buildings and houses have been completely

destroyed, and until they are rebuilt storage of produce is not possible. 6. Drainage of large areas of swamp land will be extremely useful in increasing the area of land available for cultivation, and will also have a beneficial effect on the health of the people by reducing malaria. 7. As mentioned earlier, the Greek farmer very often had to be heavily subsidised in order to give him a reasonable living, and this very often meant that prices within the country were much higher than those for which the same products could be imported. If, however, instead of trying to maintain self - sufficiency in staple foodstuffs, the policy was adopted of growing the most profitable crops, exporting the surplus, and importing her requirements of staple . foodstuffs, Greek agriculture would be in a far better position. This trade, of course, depends on the transport facilities within the country being repaired, and on shipping being available, when required, for exporting goods. Export Possibilities The climatic conditions in Greece are very favourable for the production of early fruit and vegetables, and if transport were available, these could be sold profitably on the British and European markets. It is estimated that 100,000 tons of fruit and vegetables could be exported during a season, and as this is a considerable increase on pre-war figures, it would be a sound economic proposition, provided storage facilities and refrigerator ships were available. Tobacco is probably the crop which is most suited to Greek conditions. It can be grown on soils of medium fertility, and under low rainfall conditions. Statistics show that the income per acre from tobacco is five times as great as the average income from all other crops. Considerable expansion of the tobacco industry could take place without competing with other crops for the more fertile land. Greece cannot compete with other European countries in the production of cereals, but she was forced to increase her production in the years prior to the war. Often internal prices of cereals were three times international ' prices. Much of the land now growing cereals is much too poor for good crops and is better suited to some crop such as tobacco. The production of wine, sultanas, and currants supplies an important source of income to the Greek farmer, and could . profitably be increased. Soil and climate are very favourable, returns per acre are high, and the industry absorbs a large amount of labour. ' The eastern coastal regions and the surrounding islands . are very well suited to citrus production, and the

industry might well be expanded in these areas. Prior to the war there was quite a good though small export trade in citrus fruit. In the 20 years prior to the war the cotton industry in Greece increased nearly sixfold, and still further expansion is considered possible. Yields are among the highest in the world, and the industry would absorb large numbers of the population. The neighbouring Balkan countries cannot produce cotton themselves, owing to climatic conditions, and thus a ready

market for Greek cotton should be assured. Olive trees are common all over Greece and flourish both in rich and poor soils of the mountains and plains. Olives and olive oil are two of the staple foods of the population. Olive products average about 15 per cent, of the total agricultural production, and there was quite a good export trade in olives and olive oil prior to the war. From the foregoing it can be seen that Greece is not suited, by reason of her soil and climatic conditions, to

grow high-producing crops in competition with other European countries, but she can produce and is already producing some crops whose yields compare very favourably with those of any other country in the world. It is on the production of these crops that she should concentrate. An important consideration in the rehabilitation of Greece is the problem of reducing her large amount of unemployment. The crops which are most suitable to ' the country, e.g., tobacco, ; grapes, cotton, and citrus fruit, all require a large amount of labour for their proper cultivation, and thus an increase in the areas planted with these crops would help considerably to relieve unemployment. New Zealand’s trade with Greece prior to the war was very small. The principal item of export was wool, and the main imports were currants and olive oil. It is not likely that trade between Greece and New Zealand will ever be on a very large scale.