Primary Sector

Primary Sector

An extractive industry - agriculture, fishing, drilling and mining.
Importance of Primary Sector
1. Agriculture provides important raw materials and ingredients for the food processing industry
2. Forestry is growing as farmers try to diversify out of tradition agriculture.
3. Fishing provides employment in coastal communities.
4. Quarrying provides essential products for the construction industry
Trends and Challenges in the Primary Sector.
1. EU payments policy has changed meaning farmers receive one single farm payment regardless of how much output they produce in a year.
2. Small farms are not economically viable. There are fewer but larger farms that can better achieve economies of scale
3. Many farmers are being forced to diversify into other practices such as the production of biofuels
4. Growing consumer concerns over food issues such as mad cow disease. Growth in the amount of food produced organically.
5. Farming is sensitive to climate change in the case of flooding, freezing and storms.
6. Overfishing has resulted in tariffs and quotas being put in place by the EU to stop the depletion of fishing stock.
7. The country needs to develop renewable sources of energy and become more self-sufficient

Resource summary

	Created by 08aliso.burge about 10 years ago