Norway - Agriculture

Agriculture in Norway accounts for about 2 percent of annual GDP, and only 3 percent of the land is cultivated—which seems natural, given the cold climate, thin soils, and mountainous terrain. Grains are grown only in the south while western Norway has some livestock raising and dairy farming. The leading crops in 1998 were cereals—particularly barley, wheat, and oats (total output of 1.3 million metric tons)—and potatoes (400,320 tons). In 1998, there were 2.5 million sheep, 998,400 cattle, and 768,400 hogs in the country. Norway is still a major fishing nation and is self-sufficient in many agricultural products, but fruits, vegetables, and most grains are all imported. Agriculture and fishing remain heavily protected by the Norwegian government.