World Grain -- December 2013 - 24

COUNTRYFOCUS

Focus on
Sweden

A producer of wheat and barley, the
country has an efficient agricultural sector
despite its northern location
by Chris Lyddon

FINLAND

Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union,
with only France and Spain covering a greater area, but it has a
relatively small population. Even though part of its area lies north
of the Arctic Circle much of its area has a temperate climate and
the country has an efﬁcient agricultural sector.
"In spite of its northerly location, Sweden enjoys a favorable
climate," the Swedish Board of Agriculture says in its guide to
the sector. "However, agriculture faces very different conditions
in the north compared to the south. The growing season is almost
100 days longer in the southern province of Skåne compared to
Norrland in the north."
Structural change in agriculture has in the last 50 years resultNORWAY ed in a sharp decline in the number of farms,
RUSSIA
and at the same time the farms have grown
larger, the Swedish Board of Agriculture said.
"Farmers have made large investments in machinery and become more and more specialized in areas like cereals, dairy or the rearing
of pigs and bovine animals," it said.
"Most farms are family businesses in
NORWAY
which the family itself does most of the
SWEDEN
work and combines farming with employESTONIA
ment in other activities. One-third of all
LATVIA
enterprises are so-called combination enterprises, which means that they combine
DENMARK
LITHUANIA
income from farming with income from related activities. This includes, for instance, forestry
or contracting. It is also increasingly common for
farming to be combined with tourism."
Wheat and barley are among the most important products of Sweden's farms. The European grain trade organization COCERAL put Sweden's total soft wheat production in
2013 at 1.928 million tonnes from 326,000 hectares. The previous
year's crop was 2.312 million tonnes from 369,000 hectares.
The country's barley crop is projected at 1.814 million tonnes,
24

Key Facts
Capital: Stockholm
Population: 9,119,423 (July 2013 est.)
Religions: Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic,
Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%.
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf
of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and
Norway.
Government: Constitutional monarchy. Chief of state: King
Carl XVI Gustaf (since Sept. 19, 1973); head of government:
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt (since Oct. 5, 2006).
Economy: Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of
the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard
of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and
extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution
system, excellent internal and external communications, and
a highly skilled labor force. In September 2003, Swedish
voters turned down entry into the euro system concerned
about the impact on the economy and sovereignty. Timber,
hydropower and iron ore constitute the resource base of an
economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately
owned firms account for the vast majority of industrial
output, of which the engineering sector accounts for about
50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for little
more than 1% of GDP and of employment. Until 2008,
Sweden was in the midst of a sustained economic upswing,
boosted by increased domestic demand and strong exports.
This and robust finances offered the center-right government
considerable scope to implement its reform program aimed
at increasing employment, reducing welfare dependence,
and streamlining the state's role in the economy. Despite
strong finances and underlying fundamentals, the Swedish
economy slid into recession in the third quarter of 2008
and the contraction continued in 2009 as deteriorating
global conditions reduced export demand and consumption.
Strong exports of commodities and a return to profitability
by Sweden's banking sector drove the strong rebound
in 2010, which continued in 2011, but growth slipped to
1.2% in 2012. The government proposed stimulus measures
in 2012 to curb the effects of a global economic slowdown
and boost employment and growth.
GDP per capita: $41,900 (2012 est.); inflation: 0.9%
(2012 est.); unemployment: 8% (2012 est.).
Currency: Swedish kronor (SEK): 6.611 kronors equal 1
U.S. dollar (Nov. 19, 2013).
Exports: $178.5 billion (2012 est.): machinery 35%, motor
vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel
products, chemicals.
Imports: $163.6 billion (2012 est.): machinery, petroleum
and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and
steel; foodstuffs, clothing.
Major crops/agricultural products: Barley, wheat, sugar
beets; meat, milk.
Agriculture: 1.8% of GDP and 1.1% of the labor force.
Internet: Code: .se; 5.978 million (2010) hosts and 8.398
million (2009) users.
Source: CIA World Factbook

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World Grain -- December 2013

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