Land use analysis in Southeastern Lithuania

Abstract

This paper analyses land use in southeastern Lithuania where unproductive soils prevail. To determine what land use changes have occurred on unproductive land, 6 districts ascribed to unfavourable for farming areas were chosen for analysis, i.e. Ignalina, Moletai, venčionys, Trakai, Varena and Zarasai. The analysis was carried out using the data of overall Population and Housing Census of the Lithuanian Republic in 2003 and 2010, as well as Crop Declaration and Land Fund data. The aim of the study was to analyse land use changes in unfavourable for farming areas. Analysing unfavourable for farming areas it was found that the number of farms has been decreasing in all districts. In unfavourable for farming areas average size of a farm is smaller than the average in Lithuania, in 2003 it was 6.5 ha. According to the Registry data of 2010, average size of a farm in unfavourable for farming areas comprised 9.2 ha. In the analysed period the area of unused agricultural land decreased. Based on the data of crop declaration, it was found that the most widespread crops on unproductive land are wheat, barley, summer rape, oats, triticale, rye.