Estonian Agriculture Rural Life Fisheries
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ESTONIAN AGRICULTURE RURAL LIFE FISHERIES ESTONIAN AGRICULTURE RURAL LIFE FISHERIES Published by the Ministry of Agriculture Compiled by Heiki Raudla Designed by Hele Hanson-Penu / Ecoprint Printed by AS Pajo ISBN 978–9949–462–23–0 (print) ISBN 978–9949–462–24–7 (online) Tallinn 2010 CONTENTS Facts about Estonia _____________________________________________________________ 6 Estonia in The European Union ____________________________________________________ 7 Common Present and Future _____________________________________________________ 8 Milk Production is at its Top Level ________________________________________________ 10 Plant Production has Potential ___________________________________________________ 12 Safe Food is Healthy ____________________________________________________________ 13 Local Food is Valued ____________________________________________________________ 15 Environment Attracts More and More _____________________________________________ 17 Cooperation Makes Life Better ___________________________________________________ 19 The Return of Coastal Fishing ____________________________________________________ 21 Diverse Rural Entrepreneurship __________________________________________________ 24 Renewable Energy has a Future __________________________________________________ 27 The Future of Research – Joint Research Programmes ______________________________ 29 Vocational and Continuing Education Stay Up to Date _______________________________ 30 Changing Advice _______________________________________________________________ 31 Establishment of the Agricultural Board __________________________________________ 35 Museums Advocate Rural Live ___________________________________________________ 36 Vision and Mission of the Area of Governance of the Ministry of Agriculture ____________________________________________________ 37 Inspectorates, Boards, Centres And Offices Within the Jurisdiction of the Ministry ____________________________________________ 39 Structure of the Ministry of Agriculture ___________________________________________ 40 DEAR READER You are holding a publication characterizing Estonian agriculture, rural life and fisheries and reflecting the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture. Those who have so far thought that the Ministry of Agriculture is only engaged in organizing agricultural production might be surprised to find out how wide the field of activities of our ministry actually is. As you can see, the name of the ministry has not reflected already for a long time and especially after Estonian accession to the European Union, the full range of the Ministry of Agriculture’s activities. Let’s take rural development for example, which includes activities from the modernization of agriculture, diversification of rural entrepreneurship to environmental protection and preservation of our cultural heritage. Large part of the ministry’s work is connected to ensuring food safety, so that our people could consume safe and healthy food. This, in turn, is connected to animal health and protection, animal welfare and organic farming. The food industry is also a wide and important field. Alongside plant production and animal husbandry, fishery is another direction, where our goal is to ensure the preservation and development of Estonian fisheries in the condition of limited fish resources. When we also add here the promotion of agricultural research and education, preservation of agricultural museums as the upholder of civilization, it is easier to grasp the extent of activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and amount of responsibility in advancing life in Estonia. Being a Member State of the European Union has brought about important changes in Estonian agriculture, fisheries, food industry and rural life in general. The same applies to the work of the Ministry of Agriculture. Negotiations on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy of the European Union are currently in action. Estonia has a possibility and an obligation to have an active say in its formation, ensuring a development of the field all over the European Union. The future shape of the Common Agricultural Policy will influence both the future situation of Estonian agriculture and the whole country. The Ministry of Agriculture of Estonia ESTONIAN AGRICULTURE, RURAL LIFE, FISHERIES 6 FACTS ABOUT ESTONIA Location: In Northern Europe, a common mainland border with the Republic of Latvia and the Russian Federation, a sea border with the Republic of Finland and Kingdom of Sweden. Estonia owns about thousand five hundred islands in the Baltic Sea, the territory of state has about 1150 lakes, the biggest of which is Lake Peipus – 3555 km2. Marshes cover about a quarter and forest about half of the mainland. Territory: 45 227 km2 Population: 1,3 millions (ca 65% is urban population) Population density (person/km2): 31 Capital: Tallinn (398 600 inhabitants) Climate: Estonia has a temperate climate, transitional of continental and maritime climate. With the influence of the sea, Estonian climate is significantly milder from areas with continental climate in the same latitude. The weather is milder mostly in coastal areas and the islands. The coldest month is usually February (average temperature is -5°C), the warmest month is July (average temperature is +18°C). Annual average temperature is around +5°C. The amount of precipitation exceeds evaporation: annual average rainfall is 550–800 mm and average air humidity is around 80%. The thickness of winter snow cover and duration differs a lot from year to year. Area of cultivation of field crops:566 600 ha (2009) Current GDP: 214,8 billion kroons (2009) Rate of agriculture from GDP: 1,5% (2009) Rate of agriculture in employment: 3,9%, rural areas 10,4% (2009) Source: Statistics Estonia ESTONIAN AGRICULTURE, RURAL LIFE, FISHERIES ESTONIA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 7 Being a member of the European Union still in a worse condition, in comparison Policy, but the current direct aid system has helped to modernize Estonian to the farmers of EU old Member States, needs to be changed. In the future, EU agriculture and fisheries and had because on the one hand, in the common Member States should not be divided into a positive impact on the development economic space, requirements on pro- the so-called new and old Member States of rural areas. duction and environmental protection through aid distribution. have increased and on the other hand, Estonia has been a member of the In conclusion, it can be said that acces- possibilities to use financial resources are European Union since 2004 and the expe- sion to the EU economic space brought still smaller for the Estonian farmers than rience so far shows that EU Common along a change from a narrow agriculture the ones for their western and Northern Agri cultural Policy (CAP) and the common centered view on rural life to a rural colleagues. The situation was made more market have had a beneficial influence policy that considers the broader interests difficult by the economic recession, which on the Estonian agriculture, rural life, of the society. CAP has promoted the started in 2008 that caused the market fisheries and the environment. continuation of Estonian rural life in its opportunities to decrease and purchase diversity, helping to preserve our tra- Estonia has had the possibility to use dif- prices to drop. ferent EU agriculture, fisheries and rural ditions, folk culture, landscapes and life supports since 2001 and since then, According to the Estonian official posi- nature and giving local people a chance around 20 billion kroons of Estonian and tion, Europe needs a Common Agricultural to make a better living than before. EU money has reached Estonian rural life and fisheries. 3302 3275 The situation of Estonian enterprises has 3300 EU resources improved in the European Union; possibi- 3000 EE resources lities for national, as well as international 921 2700 cooperation have been broadened. With 2403 1224 the help of support from the EU, farmers 2400 2217 2100 have been able to start using new techno- 1924 1893 849 logies, better production methods, machi- 1800 711 567 nery and everything else that has helped 1500 548 to increase productivity and the quality of 1200 1085 products. Thanks to the CAP, Estonia has 2355 900 721 2078 around a billion hectares of well main- 645 1506 1553 793 600 1345 tained agricultural land and valuable 460 1357 363 328 semi- natural areas. This is a great asset 300 143 599 57 44 44 103 324 for the country. 292 0 Despite different support and improved 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 export opportunities, Estonian farmers are Support for agriculture, food industry and rural development 1993–2009 (billions of kroons) ESTONIAN AGRICULTURE, RURAL LIFE, FISHERIES 8 COMMON PRESENT AND FUTURE Future of the CAP is extremely economy. Today, world’s agriculture is Considering Estonian natural conditions, impor tant both for Estonian facing several important challenges: it can be presumed that agriculture has agriculture, as well as from the climate change, population growth, a future here, especially in case of global point of view of the whole country. increasing demand on food, problems warming and water scarcity. Estonia has more agricultural land per person CAP is one of the oldest common policies connected to urbanization, changes in than elsewhere in Europe. This gives of the European countries, dating back rural entrepreneurship and employment the opportunity to grow agricultural