| heal.abstract |
Out of the 3.92 million ha of the total cultivated agricultural land in Greece, it is estimated that only about 3% is occupied by vegetable crops while the contribution of vegetable products to the gross value of horticultural produce is 18.3%. The main objectives for vegetable production in Greece is to satisfy local demands, as well as to export those vegetables, which are in demand at remunerative prices. Generally speaking vegetable crops produced in the open fields usually cover the local demand with the exception of asparagus, various types of sweet pepper and processing cucumber, which are exported. On the contrary those vegetables produced out-of-season (in winter and early spring months) such as watermelons, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, are in high demand on local and foreign markets and prices are high, therefore, of great economic importance to Greece. The total production of vegetables the recent years increased in comparison to the previous decade, a result mainly of an increase in yield rather than to the area under production. The Greek Ministry of Agriculture is promoting selected new hybrids for the production of vegetables in greenhouses and low tunnels. At the same time new greenhouse structures with advance equipment and control systems for heating, ventilation, irrigation, desalinization plans for improving quality of irrigation water, pests and diseases control etc., are promoted. Nursery units for commercial production of vegetable seedlings and asparagus crowns are also promoted. For spring potatoes various methods for protection against frost damage are recommended at selected suitable areas for the production of early potatoes. For asparagus, methods and techniques for induction of earliness in production are promoted. Finally, the Ministry of Agriculture is subsidizing the erection of walk-in tunnel type greenhouses for the production of out of season vegetables in areas and islands to the South part of the Country. |
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