Cyprus Crops
Citrus grove near Lefka (Lefke)
Courtesy Office of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,"
Washington
Crops made up about 70 percent of the primary sector's
contribution to the GDP of the "TRNC." Animal husbandry
supplied
nearly all the rest, with fishing and forestry accounting
for a
very small share (less than 1 percent between them). As in
the
Republic of Cyprus, agriculture in the "TRNC" was rainfed
or
irrigated. Rainfed, or dryland, agriculture produced
cereals,
fodder, tobacco, olives, carobs, almonds, and wine grapes.
Irrigated agriculture yielded citrus fruits, deciduous
fruits,
potatoes, vegetables, table grapes, and bananas.
Cereal cultivation in the "TRNC" occupied one-third of
all
cultivated land. Barley production exceeded domestic
consumption
requirements, and the surplus was exported. Wheat
production met
two-thirds of domestic demand. Mechanized farming had
significantly
improved cereal production. In 1975 total cereal
production stood
at 59,913 tons. By 1987 production had nearly doubled, to
111,867
tons.
Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, and grapefruit) were by
far the
most valuable agricultural products. These fruits usually
accounted
for at least two-thirds of the total agricultural exports
of the
"TRNC," and until the very end of the 1980s they were a
more
important export than manufactured goods. Citrus fruits
were grown
on irrigated land in areas with mild winter weather near
Famagusta
(Gazimagusa), Morphou (Güzelyurt), Lefka (Lefke), and
Lapithos
(Lapta).
Other important tree crops were carobs and olives,
frequently
grown intermixed on hillsides and mountain slopes. Only a
few of
the 1.5 million olive trees in the "TRNC" were grown in
groves. The
carob tree, a member of the pulse family, is a native of
the
eastern Mediterranean whose seeds are used mainly for
cattle
fodder. Most exports went to Britain. Deciduous tree crops
common
to temperate climates, including apples, pears, plums,
apricots,
pomegranates, and figs, were also grown in the "TRNC," but
to a
much lesser extent than in the Republic of Cyprus.
Industrial crops included fibers (cotton, flax, and
hemp),
spices (cumin and aniseed), and tobacco. Tobacco grew in
the
northeast corner of the island. At the end of the 1980s,
tobacco
was not an important crop, but it did yield some exports.
The diverse topography and climate of Cyprus permit the
cultivation of a great variety of other crops. An
important crop
was the potato. Two potato crops a year permitted
substantial
exports, mainly to Britain. In the second half of the
1980s,
potatoes accounted for about 5 percent of Turkish Cypriot
exports.
Potato farming developed during the post-1974 years as a
result of
an improved irrigation system. Other vegetables grown
included
cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, cucumbers, onions, squash,
strawberries, tomatoes, artichokes, avocados, bananas,
leeks, and
okra. Most were grown not only for domestic consumption
but also
for export. Vines occupied the largest area in the Karpas
Peninsula, and some groves were also found in the Kyrenia
(Girne)
region. Some fresh grapes were exported. Because of water
shortages, however, grape production fell to only about
100 tons a
year in the late 1980s.
Data as of January 1991
|