Editing Economy of Barbados (section)

== Primary industries ==

=== Agriculture ===
[[File:Saint Andrew, Barbados 040.jpg|thumb|The cultivation of sugar cane, such as the cane growing in this field outside [[Saint Andrew, Barbados|Saint Andrew]], has always been a big part of the island's economy.]]
About {{convert|16000|ha|acre|abbr=off}}, or 37.2% of the total land area, are classified as arable. At one time, nearly all arable land was devoted to sugarcane, but the percentage devoted to ground crops for local consumption has been increasing. In 1999, 500,000 tons of sugarcane were produced, down from the annual average of 584,000 tons in 1989–91. In 2001, sugar exports amounted to US$22 million, or 8.4% of total exports. Major food crops ("[[Ground provisions]]") are yams, sweet potatoes, corn, eddoes, cassava, and several varieties of beans. Inadequate rainfall and lack of irrigation has prevented the development of other agricultural activity, although some vegetable farming takes place on a commercial scale. Some cotton is also grown in drier parts of the island, but until cotton can be picked by machine it is unlikely that output will rise to its former level.

=== Animal husbandry ===
Livestock rearing isn't a major occupation in Barbados, chiefly because good pasture has always been scarce & imported animal feed is expensive. The island must import large quantities of meat and dairy products. Most livestock is owned by individual households. Estimates for 1999 showed 23,000 head of cattle, 41,000 sheep, 33,000 hogs, 5,000 goats, and 4,000,000 chickens. Poultry production in 1999 included 9,000 tons of meat and 1,000 tons of hen eggs. Apart from self-sufficiency in milk and poultry, the limited agricultural sector means that Barbados imports large amounts of basic foods, including wheat and meat.

=== Fishing ===
The fishing industry employs about 2,000 persons, and the fleet consists of more than 500 powered boats. The catch in 2000 was 3,100 metric tons. Flying fish, dolphin fish, tuna, turbot, kingfish, and swordfish are among the main species caught. A fisheries terminal complex opened at Oistins in 1983.

=== Forestry ===
Fewer than {{convert|20|ha|acre|abbr=off}} of original forests have survived the 300 years of sugar cultivation. There are an estimated {{convert|5000|ha|acre|abbr=off}} of forested land, covering about 12% of the total land area. Roundwood production in 2000 totalled 5,000 cu m (176,500 cu ft), and imports amounted to 3,000 cu m (106,000 cu ft). In 2000, Barbados imported $35.3 million in wood and forest products.

=== Mining ===
Deposits of limestone and coral were quarried to meet local construction needs. Production of limestone in 2000 amounted to 1.5 million tons. Clays and shale, sand and gravel, and carbonaceous deposits provided limited yields. Hydraulic cement production totalled 267,659 tons in 2000, up from 106,515 in 1996.

Oil production is also undertaken in Barbados, with much of the on-shore activity taking place in Woodbourne, [[Saint Philip, Barbados|Saint Philip]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Seven new wells planned for Woodbourne |author=Staff writer |url=http://www.cbc.bb/index.pl/article?id=4886175 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170606/http://www.cbc.bb/index.pl/article?id=4886175 |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 March 2016 |agency=[[Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation]] |publisher=CBC |id=4886175 |date=24 September 2009 |access-date=15 October 2009 }}</ref>