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The 1990s - a decade of change for farming
A crucial change in agriculture in the Baltic Sea region during
the 1990s has been the reintroduction of private ownership of
farmland in countries in transition between the centrally-planned economy and the market economy. Through the 1990s prices for agricultural products remained
low, while production costs were high.
Agricultural production decreased overall, resulting in smaller
production units, and substantial reductions in the use of inputs
such as fertilisers and pesticides. In the future, however,
significant reconstruction of the agricultural sector is to be
expected, and increases in productivity. The transitional
countries will need assistance to ensure that environmentally
sustainable agricultural practices are adopted.