ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to explore the reasons and results of the increasing energy consumption in German Democratic Republic (GDR) agriculture. The agriculture, forestry and food sector as a whole is the third largest energy consumer in the GDR, topped only by the chemical industry which consumes 25 percent and the metallurgy, ore mining and potash industry which consumes 21 percent. The quantities of fertilizers and plant protectives supplied to agriculture and the machines and equipment of the GDR'S agriculture are evaluated according to the primary energy units required for their production and maintenance and are related to one hectare of agricultural area. The rapid rates of increase of electric energy, gas and fuel oil consumption are due to the forced industrializing of animal production and to the installation of machines for technical drying of green fodder and the pelletization of straw.
