estonian agriculture, rural economy and food industry

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the Rakvere deposit, were discovered in the
1970s. The estimated stock of the useful
component (diphosphorus pentoxide) is ca
700 million tonnes. To date, phosphorite
has only been excavated from the Maardu
deposit and is used for making single
superphosphate and phosphorite powder.
• Limestone and dolomite deposits are mainly
located and on its islands and in the
northern portions of Estonia. Limestone is
used as raw material for cement, lime burning,
construction stone and broken stone.
Dolomite is mainly used as a decorative
construction stone.
• Mineral sea mud and organic-rich lake mud
are used for therapeutic mud treatment.
The main sea mud deposits are in the
Haapsalu and Riga Bays.
• Mineral water is obtained from boreholes
in Värska near Lake Peipsi, and is sold as
bottled drinking water under the brand
name Värska.
• Next to Finland, Estonia is one the richest
countries in bogs; bogs occupy 24% of
Estonia’s land territory.
• Bog areas are rich in peat: peat deposits
cover 901,500 ha. The estimated peat stock
is 2.37 billion tonnes. The annual maximum
rate of peat use is 2.37 million tonnes
as established by a Government resolution.
Forty per cent of the extracted peat is
exported; the remainder is used as horticultural
fertiliser and as fuel for heating residential
buildings.
Soils
• Soil quality is assessed on a point basis that
is dependant on its fertility and technological
conditions. The average soil rating of
the total arable land in Estonia is 41 points.
• Soils above 50 points are regarded as good;
Estonia’s coverage of this soil type is
134,000 ha (12% of arable land). Soils of
average fertility (30–50 points) cover
837,000 ha (74.6% of arable land). Soils of
low fertility (less than 30 points) cover
151,000 ha (13.4% of arable land).
• The most fertile soils can be found in Järva,
Jõgeva, Lääne-Viru, and Tartu counties.
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