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
