The Development of Agricultural Greenhouses in the Island of Crete, Greece. A SWOT Analysis

The climate conditions in the island of Crete, Greece are favorable for the development of agricultural greenhouses. The island hosts nowadays almost one third of the Greek greenhouses used mainly for vegetables production. Although plastic covered greenhouses dominate in vegetable’s production in Crete the use of modern technologies can increase the productivity and improve the quality of the products. The internal and external factors which affect the development of greenhouses in Greece have been analyzed focusing on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats according to SWOT methodology. The SWOT analysis helps in the development of a strategic plan for their development and indicates the competitive advantages of greenhouses in Crete. However, it gives subjective views and does not offer specific solutions. It has been found that greenhouse farming in Crete has many strengths. Although there are various weaknesses and threats regarding their growth in the island it has been found that there are several opportunities for their future development. The results could be helpful in the development of a strategic plan for the growth of agricultural greenhouses in Crete. They could be useful to policy makers, to greenhouses farmers and to the stakeholders of the agricultural sector in the island.