Agriculture in Greece

Exportation of raisin; port of Patras, late 19th century

Greek green olives

In the 19th century, Greek agriculture was very basic. Implements found in western Europe had not yet appeared. The following description was reported by William Henry Moffett, American Consul in Athens and was published in the American periodical Garden and Forest (Volume 2, Issue 95, 18 December 1889, p. 612: published by Garden and Forest Publishing Co., Tribune Building, New York, N.Y.):

William H. Moffett, United States Consul at Athens, reports the impossibility of making any official statement as to the agriculture of Greece, because "agriculture is here in the most undeveloped condition. Even in the immediate neighborhood of Athens it is common to find the wooden plow and the rude mattock which were in use 2,000 years ago. Fields are plowed up or scratched over, and crops replanted season after season, until the exhausted soil will bear no more. Fertilizers are not used to any appreciable extent, and the farm implements are of the very rudest description. Irrigation is in use in some districts, and, as far as I can ascertain, the methods in use can be readily learned by a study of the practices of the ancient Egyptians. Greece has olives and grapes in abundance, and of quality not excelled; but Greek olive oil and Greek wine will not bear transportation."

Greek agricultural production was vastly expanded in the 20th century, as per the information given elsewhere on this page. In particular grain production (wheat, barley, etc.) has been significantly increased using more modern farming methods.

There were over 8,000 farms all over Greece in 1998, with 9,730 hectares of land used for the growing of organic farming.[2]

The main varieties of domestic wheat produced in Greece during 2002 were FLAVIO, VAVAROS and MEXA.[3]

• Note: The below list is not considered exhaustive.[4][5][6][7]

Name	Image	Areas	Description
Adramitini
Amfissas			Alternate name is Amphissis
Amigdalolia
Athinolia			Low viscosity
Chemlali
Conservolia
Daphnoelia
Frantoio
Gordal
Chalkidikis		Chalkidiki	Green olives. Also known as Chondrolia and called "donkey olives".
Hondroelia
Karidolia
Kalamatas		Messinia in Southern Peloponnese.	Usually a brown or black table olive. When picked early, known as "pink" olives (reddish color). They have PDO status for the Kalamata region. Known as "Kalamon olives" outside this region.
Koroneiki		Messinia, Peloponnese, and Zakynthos.	Cretan olives, referred also as elitses
Kothreiki
Lianolia
Mastoidís
Megaritiki
Mirtolia		Mainly Laconia	Also Smertolia/Mourtolia
Nafpliou		Valley of Argos in the Eastern Peloponnese peninsula.	Usually a table olive
Patrinia		Primarily in Aigialeia.	High oil concentration of around 25%
Picholine			Also Marocaine
Throubes or from Thassos		Island of Thassos	Naturally wrinkled when ripe and allowed to fall into nets. The only olives that can be eaten straight off the tree.
Throumbolia
Tsounati (Ladolia)
Valanolia