| AGRICULTURE |
| The Charente has a wide variety of soils that have been shaped by the climate as well as by man. These soils have contributed to the development of specific, high-quality produce. A highly simplified typology could sum up the agriculture of the Charente as follows : |
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Animal-rearing (cattle and sheep) in the Confolentais area
The significant feature of the rearing business is the size of the beef cattle herd, mainly comprising limousine cattle, along with the sound development of sheep farming. A number of fairs such as those at Confolens and Chabanais demonstrate the quality of produce.
Cereals in the Angoumois and Ruffécois areas
Soft wheat and corn make up 80% of cereal production while sunflowers are the main oil-producing crop.
Vines in the west and south of the Department
Vines cover 10% of the agricultural surface area and are used in brandies that are distilled to make a prestigious product - cognac. |
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Some figures
(source : Chamber of
Agriculture) :
• 9,700 people work in agriculture, representing 7% of total employment in the Charente department (on 31/12/02).
• 8,800 farms (RGA 2000); about 7,500 today of which 5,000 are professional concerns.
• 380,000ha of Useful Agricultural Surface area (Agreste 2003).
• Wine production stands at 3
740 000hl of which 99.5 % is for use in the production of Cognac (AOC).
• Agricultural income came to 673.83
M€ in 2003, comprising 34% from wine production, 29% from other crops, 19% from animal rearing, 4% from services, and the rest from subsidiaries. |
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