Archive:Farm structure in Austria - 2007 results
- Data from December 2008. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.
This article is part of a series of country-specific essays on the results of the European Union (EU) Farm structure survey (FSS) 2007. It provides a brief but nevertheless comprehensive insight into farm structure in Austria.
The 2007 FSS recorded 165 400 agricultural holdings in Austria, which represents a 3.1 % decrease since 2005.
Main statistical findings
A fall of 4 % in the agricultural area
In 2007, about 130 900 agricultural holdings in Austria had an economic size of at least one European size unit (ESU), compared with 137 000 in 2005 (a 4 % reduction).
These farms made use of 2.58 million hectares (ha) of utilised agricultural area (UAA), (4.2 % less than in 2005), which makes the average size of a holding in Austria 19.7 ha (compared with 19.6 ha in 2005). See Figure 1 for the distribution of UAA in terms of farm size, while Table 2 describes the size distribution and other characteristics of the agricultural holdings.
These holdings employed 148 500 annual work units (AWUs), the equivalent of 148 500 people working full time, a decrease of 3 % since 2005. The organisation and distribution of the labour force in Austria is described in Figure 2 and Table 1.
The farms contained 2.46 million livestock units (LSU) in 2007, 1 % more than in 2005. The distribution of livestock by farm size is shown in Table 4 and Figure 3.
Amongst the 130 900 agricultural holdings in 2007:
- 42.5 % made use of less than one AWU, while another 13 % made use of two or more AWUs;
- 69 % used less than 20 ha, while 7 % used 50 ha or more;
- 24 % of Austrian farms specialised in dairy farming;
- 14 % were specialists in cattle - rearing and fattening;
- 11 % of the farms were engaged in growing cereals, oil seed and protein crops;
- 10 % specialised in cattle – dairy farming, rearing and fattening combined;
- 10 % specialised in vineyards;
- 60 % of the agricultural area was situated in less favoured or mountain areas in 2007.
Amongst the sole holders:
- 33 % were women in 2007;
- 26 % were aged 55 or more and 10 % were younger than 35 years (16 % decrease since 2005); and
- 28 % had another gainful activity in 2007.
In Austria in 2007, 66 % of the agricultural area was farmed by its owners.
The family labour force represents 89 % of the total labour force in Austrian holdings - a 4 % decrease between 2005 and 2007.
The area used under organic production methods increased by 6 % from 2005 to 2007. 13 % of the holdings were classified as practising organic farming. Details of land use by size of farm are given in Table 3.
The number of holdings specialized in vineyards increased by 5 % from 11 900 (2005) to 12 600 (2007), while the area used for vineyards decreased by 1 %.
There was an increase in the rape and turnip area (+29 %) in order to raise the bio fuel production, while area sown with sunflower and soya was reduced by 7 %.
The situation for subsistence farming in Austria is outlined in Table 5.
Data sources and availability
Due to the different coverage of the FSS across Member States, the total number of farms is not comparable between countries. This is why the present analysis, including Tables 1-4 and the graphs focus on holdings of at least one European size unit (ESU).
Statistics Austria in collaboration with the communes implemented the 2007 survey on the structure of agricultural holdings in Austria. The FSS 2007 was the third sample survey after the last Agricultural Census in 1999 (AC 1999). The reference day was the 1 December 2007. The reference period for area related characteristics was the 2006/2007 crop year, and for the data on labour force it was the period between December 2006 and November 2007.
The definition of an agricultural holding complies with the European Commission's definition. It includes all holdings with at least 1 hectare, or with at least 0.25 ha of market vineyards, 0.15 ha of fruit orchards, or 0.1 ha of berries, strawberries, vegetables, flowers, decorative plants, vine, nurseries and commercial nurseries of forest trees, or holdings with greenhouses covering at least 0.01 ha (producing mainly for market), or with at least 3 heads of cattle, 5 pigs, 10 sheep or goats, 100 heads of poultry. Holdings with at least 3 ha of forest were surveyed for national purposes.
The FSS 2007 used the Agriculture and Forestry Register as basis for the 2007 survey which recorded around 232 500 holdings. This register is continuously updated with the various Austrian agricultural surveys and with administrative data as well. The sample was a stratified random sample, based on the geographical regions, the labour force, typology, UAA and livestock. A total of around 40 000 holdings where included in the sample (17 %).
Data from the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), from the Cattle Register and information on organic farming were used for providing information on the cultivated areas and livestock.
The survey was conducted solely by means of an internet questionnaire. About 34 % of the farmers submitted their responses on their own PC (direct respondents). The other respondents received assistance from their municipalities. Altogether about 33 250 questionnaires (83 %) were relevant according to EU criteria.
Since FSS 2005 "maintaining land in good agricultural and environmental conditions" (GAEC) is considered an agricultural activity. Beginning with the FSS 2007 the concerned land has been included in the agricultural area. In Austria it covers close to 4 300 ha, 77 % in holdings with at least 1 ESU.
For each activity (`enterprise`) on a farm (for instance wheat, dairy cow or vineyard), a Standard gross margin (SGM) is estimated, based on the area (or the number of heads) and a regional coefficient. The sum of such margins in a farm is its economic size, expressed in European size units (ESU, 1 ESU is a 1200-euro SGM).
An Annual work unit (AWU) is equivalent to a worker employed on a full time basis for one year. In Austria it is 2000 hours (250 working days of 8 working hours per day).
Context
European Commission rural development policy aims to improve competitiveness in agriculture and forestry, improve the environment and countryside, improve the quality of life in rural areas and encourage the diversification of rural economies.
As agriculture has modernised and the importance of industry and services within the economy has increased, so agriculture has become much less important as a source of jobs. Consequently, increasing emphasis is placed on the role farmers can play in rural development, including forestry, biodiversity, the diversification of the rural economy to create alternative jobs and environmental protection in rural areas.
The FSS continues to adapt to provide timely and relevant data to help analyse and follow these developments.
See also
Further Eurostat information
Publications
- Farm Structure Survey in Austria - 2007 - Statistics in focus 89/2009
- National Methodological Report – FSS 2007 Austria (available on request)
Main tables
- Agriculture, see:
- Farm structure: historical data (1990-2007) (t_ef)
Database
- Agriculture, see:
- Farm structure (ef)
Dedicated section
Methodology / Metadata
- Farm structure (ESMS metadata file — ef_esms)