AGRICULTURE

 

Agriculture makes up a smaller part of the economy. This line of business includes sheep farming, reindeer farming, and market gardens. The predominant part of the production by far is sold on the domestic market whereas the exports make up a modest part of the total exports. The exports of lamb and reindeer meat are the most important.

 

The total arable land is under continuous expansion, see Figure 1 and Table 18.

 

Figure 1

Arable Land

Source: The Department for Fishing, Catching, and Agriculture

 

I 2007, there were 51 farms. The average size of a farm is approximately 19 hectares. This is significantly less than in Denmark where an average farm is 58 hectares. The four largest farms have 30-50 hectares of land. This group makes up 39 per cent of all farms. Some farms have less than 5 hectares, see Figure 2.

 

Figure 2

Farms by Size in 2009

Source: The Consultancy for Agriculture