Empire Rising: Spain

After returning to Madrid, Carlo summoned Minister of Agriculture Jovellar Soler to inquire about the current agricultural development in Spain.

Although most of Spain’s land is not suitable for agriculture, there are still regions that are excellent farmland, suitable for growing crops as well as fruits and vegetables.

Although Portugal has a larger area of plains, its grain yield is actually inferior to that of Spain.

In later years, Spain was one of Europe’s largest vegetable and fruit exporters, with a food self-sufficiency rate of about seventy percent, which is quite impressive.

Minister of Agriculture Jovellar Soler soon arrived at the Madrid Royal Palace, where Carlo met him in the palace reception room.

"Minister Jovellar, how is our agricultural development now?" Before Jovellar could pay his respects, Carlo impatiently asked his question.

For any country, agricultural development is absolutely one of the most important aspects. For Spain, a country where the majority of the population are farmers, agriculture is crucial to the survival of the nation.

"Due to the extensive use of chemical fertilizers on Andalusia’s farmland, the grain yield per acre has increased significantly.

It is estimated that this year’s grain yield will increase by at least 5%, and the production of vegetables and fruits will remain at a level similar to last year." Minister of Agriculture Jovellar first paid his respects and then answered Carlo’s question.

Spain’s total grain production is about 4 million tons, with the largest outputs being wheat, corn, and rice. Due to Spain’s complex geographical environment and climate, it also produces other grains such as barley, oats, rye, and potatoes, though they are only grown in small quantities with limited output.

On top of these 4.5 million tons of grain, Spain also produces a large amount of fruits and vegetables as well as other crops, including olives, grapes, etc.

There are also many economic crops aimed at industry, such as cotton, sugar beets, and tobacco, among others.

Although the grain yield is only 4 million tons, the production of various fruits and vegetables helps ensure the food needs of over 18 million people in Spain.

Simply put, this is not like the later years when food was so abundant that it led to waste.

In this era, people’s food is quite scarce, and they have little choice. People essentially eat whatever is available and are satisfied with barely getting enough to eat, without demanding anything more.

million tons of grain could only sustain 15 to 18 million people in later years, but in 1877, it could support nearly 20 million people.

Coupled with the fruits and vegetables produced domestically, the food produced by Spain each year can ensure about 22 million people have enough to eat for a year.

Of course, while ordinary people do not tend to waste food, grain waste is quite prevalent among the nobility and capitalists.

This also causes Spain’s actual grain output to only meet the consumption needs of roughly 20 million people, while also worrying about natural disasters disrupting agricultural production and leading to widespread famine.

The 5% increase in grain production mentioned by Minister Jovellar is undoubtedly good news for Spain. Based on Spain’s total grain output of roughly 4 million tons, a 5% increase translates to 200,000 tons more grain, which can ensure 1 million people have enough to eat for a year.

And with Spain’s annual population growth being only about 300,000, this also means Spain’s food self-sufficiency rate will continue to rise, making it less susceptible to famines and food crises.

Upon hearing Minister Jovellar’s report, Carlo nodded, quite satisfied with the agricultural development.

Although Spain’s grain production is not as high as those countries like the UK, France, and Germany, which have vast plains, fortunately, Spain’s population is not large, so the demand for food is not overwhelming.

Though it does not reach the multiple times self-sufficiency rates of France and Germany, for Spain, maintaining a food self-sufficiency rate of 100% is already quite an achievement.

At the very least, it ensures Spain does not rely on imported grain, allowing more funds to be used in other important areas.

While importing grain during peacetime is not very expensive, the cumulative annual cost still represents a significant expenditure.

Spain’s important grain-producing areas comprise four regions, namely the Seville grain production area in the western part of Andalusia, the central grain production area surrounding the capital Madrid and Toledo, and the Zaragoza grain production area located in Zaragoza, as well as the Leon grain production area located near Leon.

The area producing the most grain is certainly the region with the most people, the Andalusia Region. The grain production area near Seville alone contributes about 25% of Spain’s grain output, which is already an impressive level.

It is no exaggeration to say that the grain output of the Andalusia Region is always crucial to Spain’s total grain production and Spain’s grain prices.

If the agriculture of the Andalusia Region encounters problems, it will severely affect Spain’s total grain output, triggering a nationwide food crisis or even widespread famine.

Unlike grain-producing areas, livestock areas are generally concentrated on Spain’s western border, particularly in the Extremadura Region, which possesses Spain’s largest livestock area and is the main supplier of meat for Spain.

This also highlights the geographical advantage of Portugal. Spain’s largest grain and livestock areas are relatively close to Portugal’s plains and hills, whereas the inland mountains and plateaus are inferior to plains and hills in both grain production and livestock.

Securing Portugal would give Spain a large new area of plains and hills that can be used for grain production and livestock, and the overall development potential of the Iberian Peninsula would far exceed that of Spain before, offering Spain an opportunity to breach the upper limits of medium and upper-tier powers, becoming a regional overlord or even a superpower.