Agriculture, is one of Britain’s most important industries, supplies nearly two-thirds of the country’s food. British agriculture is efficient, for it is based on modern technology and research.

BRITISH AGRICUTURE

Agriculture, is one of Britain’s most important industries, supplies nearly two-thirds of the country’s food. British agriculture is efficient, for it is based on modern technology and research.

Nearly 80 % of the land is used for agriculture. The total agricultural acreage of Great Britain is about 45.000.000 acres. Soils vary from poor ones of highland Britain to the rich fertile soils in the eastern and south6eastern parts of England.

Britain is self-sufficient in milk, eggs, to a very extent in meat, potatoes, wheat. However, it needs to import butter, cheese, sugar and some other agricultural products.

There are about 55 000 farms in Britain. They are not large. An average sized farm is about 30-40 acres. There are three main types of farming in Great Britain: pastoral, arable, mixed. 60 % of farms are developed mainly to dairying or beef cattle and sheep. Sheep and cattle are reared in the hull and moorland areas of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and south-western England. Milk production is of the first importance in the structure of British agriculture.

Pig breeding is carried on in most areas but is particularly important in southern England, north-east Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Arable farms are mainly in the eastern part of the country. The main cereal crops in Great Britain are wheat, barley and oats. Rye is grown in small quantities for use as cattle fodder.

Great Britain produces different kinds of fruit: apples, pears, cherries, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries and others. Potatoes are grown for sale, for fodder, and for seed.

Modern machines; tractors, combines and other equipment are used on British farms. But today the main tendency in British agriculture is that small traditional farms are gradually disappearing because they cannot compete with big industrial farms.

Private woods make up 56 % of the total forests areas in Great Britain.

Woodlands cover an estimated 2, 2 million hectares.

Britain’s second major source of food is the surrounding sea. The fishing industry provides about 70 % of British fish supplies.

VOCABULARY

efficient [ɪ’fi∫ənt]	- эффективный; умелый, подготовленный, квалифицированный (о человеке)
efficiency [i’fi∫ənsi]	- продуктивность, производительность
acreage [‘eikridʒ]	- площадь земли в акрах
average [‘ævərɪdʒ]	- средняя величина; on the average - в среднем
primarily [‘praɪmərəlɪ]	- сначала, первоначально, главным образом
technology [tek’nɔlədʒɪ]	- технология
sufficient [sə’fɪʃənt]	- достаточный; self-sufficient - самодостаточный
cereals [‘sɪərɪəlz]	- хлебный злак, зерновые
virtually [‘və:tjuəlɪ]	- фактически, в сущности
horticulture [‘hɔ:tɪkʌltʃə]	- садоводство, огородничество
equipment [ik’wɪpment]	- оборудование
source [sɔ:s]	- источник
import [ɪm’pɔ:t]	- импортировать, ввозить
gooseberry [‘guzb(ə)rɪ]	- крыжовник
strawberry [‘strɔ:b(ə)rɪ]	- клубника, земляника
raspberry [‘ra:z b(ə)rɪ]	- малина
rough [rʌf]	- грубый, резкий (о ветре); суровый (о климате, погоде); тяжёлый, трудный
graze [greiz]	- пасти (сь), щипать траву; rough grazing - выпас на грубых кормах

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04