Greece ranks among the EU’s most challenged agricultural sectors, with persistent structural problems undermining decades of modernization efforts, according to a European primary sector report released Wednesday with 2020 data.
The country trails dramatically in farmer education, with fewer than 5% fully trained compared to over 70% in the Netherlands and France. Only 2-4% of Greek farmers are under 35, well below the EU average of 6%.
Greece holds 6% of EU farms by number but cultivates significantly less land than countries with fewer operations. Some 74% of Greek farms are small holdings under 5 hectares, collectively working just 23% of cultivated land.
In contrast, France and the Netherlands have only 20% of farmers in this category, utilizing merely 1% of agricultural land.
The report highlights fragmented plots, aging farmers, and inadequate training as defining characteristics of Greek agriculture despite extensive modernization programs.
Portugal faces similar challenges, with 73% small farmers cultivating just 9% of land.
Greece, alongside Portugal, Italy, and Spain, maintains the EU’s most diverse agriculture with significant acreage in field crops, pastures, and permanent tree crops including fruit, vines, and olives.