Economy Farming in Wales generally takes the form of livestock herding. Sheep are grazed in large numbers on the sprawling moorlands and hill slopes, while dairy cows are kept in the lowland areas. Milk and cattle are sent to the English market. Only about 8 percent of the total agricultural area of Wales is used for growing crops. Barley and fodder crops are the main products.
Farms are generally small, and many are subsidized by the government.
Welsh industry is based on the coalfields of the south. At one time metallic ores were mined, but these are now exhausted. Coal is mined in a number of valleys, most significantly the Rhondda Valley. The coal is largely used in the iron and steel industry of southern Wales. The drop in demand for steel and coal, however, resulted in the closing of some plants and coal mines and the reorganization of others.