Agricultural Equipment in Greece: Farm Machinery Management in the Era of Economic Crisis

Abstract

Abstract The mechanization of the Greek agriculture began in the early 60s as a way to overcome the lack of labor force, due to the rural exodus. The approval from the farmers was encouraged by the financial support provided via national and European programs. Nowadays, thanks to this support, the index of mechanization of the Greek agriculture exceeds country's needs. However, there is inefficient use of farm machinery, due to the lack of the necessary complementary parts or overwhelming power of the tractors. The aim of this paper is to examine the management of farm machinery in Greece, during the economic crisis, a period of volatility in the markets and need for reduced production costs. It is shown that farmers got used to a mentality of fast-track farm management and farm machinery selection which can no longer be continued.