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Agriculture in the Charente Catchment Area

Agriculture is diversified on the Charente catchment area.

In Charente-Maritime, the agriculture includes bovine breeding (dairy farming) and cultivation of corn and of wheat. On the coast, the main activities linked to breeding are marine activities : oyster-farming (Marennes) or fishing for example.

In the West of the basin, Cognac vineyards compose the main part of agriculture (see the “excellence niche” page).

In the East and South of the basin, there is mainly bovine and ovine breeding, although it is becoming less important than the cultivation of corn. It is the 80s politics for agriculture that set the corn cultivation instead of the sugar beet cultivation. Nowadays, 80 % of the Charente catchment area is dedicated to the corn cultivation.

Corn is irrigated by water from the river Charente, and this is a problem in the dry periods (the water volumes that are used for the cultures increased by 20 between 1970 and 1996). Moreover, all this cultivation generate pollution.

Surface used for agriculture (in ha)


Source : Recensement Général Agricole. 2000


 

 

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