<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Rete Civica dell'Alto Adige

Welcome to South Tyrol

Agriculture

Farming traditionThe agriculture belongs to the oldest economic branches of the world and has brought prosperity also to our country. South Tyrol has a centuries old farming tradition. Even if today agriculture no longer has the same socio-political importance as other economic sectors that it had decades ago, nevertheless this farming tradition does affect many areas of life.

The significance of agriculture in South Tyrol goes far beyond its economic effects. Its contributions to the maintenance of the cultivated area and living space creates vital conditions for other economic sectors and for the maintenance of a healthy quality of life. Above all it is directed at high quality domestic production to ensure the competitiveness of South Tyrolese products as well as the maintenance of agriculture in mountain areas, in particular through an additional or secondary occupation, in order to create conditions and circumstances for the maintenance for income levels for family farms.
It is in the highest interest of the Province to keep an adequate number of the farming population on the land, even in extreme areas, and to that end to take advantage of all possibilities at European, national and provincial level.

The first step to translate the declaration of intent into deeds has been completed. For the first time farmers have the possibility of applying for additional grants for an agricultural production process that is environmentally friendly and protects the natural living space. Next, an all-embracing programme for the development of the countryside will be drawn up and put before the EU authorities. Even for the milk quota problem which has lasted for years a satisfactory solution could be found. With these measures and through specific support from the Provincial budget the aims laid down in the government's programme are being pursued.

The farmer is the natural guardian of the countryside and guarantor for the protection of the cultivated land. In 2000 about 24,500 persons (= 11,5 per cent of the working population in South Tyrol) were employed in the sector of agriculture: 6,300 women and 18,200 men. The employment rate in this sector decreased for about 0,9 per cent in 2000. The farmers in South Tyrol are overwhelmingly German and Ladin speakers. In South Tyrol as well as in the other regions the farms are mainly family businesses; 97.5 per cent of them are run by the farmer himself. Actually, there are about 27,000 agricultural holdings in South Tyrol. More than 70 per cent of the farms are not able to depend on agricultural income alone and must therefore acquire a secondary occupation. In the last ten years the number of farms with such a secondary occupation has constantly increased and in all probability will continue to increase in the future as many a farm fully employed in agriculture will no longer be in a position to obtain from agriculture alone an income comparable to that found in non-agricultural sectors.

A special legal guarantee for the maintenance of viable family farms in South Tyrol is the establishment of the "entailed" farm system. This legal institution basically guarantees to the inheritor of a farm that he will succeed to the entire farm, and thus farm fragmentation is avoided. In South Tyrol there are about 12,800 "entailed" farms and their number is increasing. But in general, the number of farms is in decrease, a fact, which can be observed in the whole Europe. The majority of the farms are lying in the mountains. During the last five years several measures have been taken to open up the countryside. The provincial administration supports the mountain farmers with financial aides.

In South Tyrol the productive land covers 272,456 hectares, 311,000 hectares are woodland, while 16 per cent of the land are unproductive. The South Tyrolese fruit- and wine yield is famous for its high qualified products, which are sold on a co-operational basis. Fruit takes up 18,000 hectares and wine about 5,000 hectares. In 2000, the pip-fruit harvest (apples and pears) amounted to about 844,000 tons, and wine production to 408,000 hectolitres. 40-50 per cent of the quality wine produced in South Tyrol are exported.

The 14,200 animal farms contain 145,500 cows, particularly the brown, grey and spotted varieties, 41,000 sheep, 15,000 goats, 24,000 pigs and 5,200 horses. The area under vegetable production is estimated at about 640 hectares, in which cauliflower, potatoes, beetroots, iceberg lettuce and radicchio (chicory) are particularly cultivated. An area of 220 hectares serves the cultivation of seed-potatoes. In recent years the area of cultivating medicinal and aromatic herbs has been expanded to 3.5 hectares. The herb fields are mainly in the region of Schlern, Eisack, Ulten, Vinschgau, Martell and Pustertal.
To the 1,733 alpine pastures (mostly in private hands), with a total of 248,750 hectares(=34 per cent of the provincial area), 95,000 cows are driven each year in early summer.
One-third of the area under intensive cultivation has at its disposal a sprinkler system. For the cultivation of farmable land over 83,000 agricultural machines are in operation.

About 311,000 hectares in South Tyrol (=42 per cent of the provincial area) are classified as woodland areas, with spruce, larches and Scots pine predominating. 60 per cent of this wooded area is in private hands. In South Tyrol trees (known as the farmer's savings bank) are not only useful for the over 21,894 owners of woodland, but also have several vital functions - protection of the soil and property, socially in regard to drinking water and air-filtering, and in regard to recreation. The woodland eco-system is protected with special laws and its state of health monitored regularly and extensively. In thinly forested and erosion-prone areas, particularly in Vinschgau, a considerable reforestation programme is in progress.

Care and protection as well as strict shooting laws led to an increase in the numbers of hoofed game in South Tyrol in the last decades. The declared aim of the South Tyrolese game shooting and fishing industry is the preservation and improvement of the living space of South Tyrol's diverse fauna. Interesting from the shooting point of view but problematic from that of the provincial habitat are the wild ruminants. The number of roe-deer is estimated at 32,000, chamois at 12,000, red deer at 3,500 and ibex at 500.

About six per cent of South Tyrol's lakes and streams (a total water area of 2,750 hectares) are fishable. Two-thirds of the fish in South Tyrol are trout. The 12,250 South Tyrolese fishers are organized in two different associations.