Statistics Explained

Archive:Farm structure in Hungary - 2007 results

Data from November 2008. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.
Figure 1: Distribution of the utilized agricultural area, 2005 and 2007, Hungary
Figure 2: Description of the labour force in Hungary, 2007
Figure 3: Distribution of the number of livestock units, 2005 and 2007, Hungary
Table 1: Labour force by size of the farms, 2007, Hungary
Table 2: Agricultural holdings by size, 2007, Hungary
Table 3: Land use by size of the farms, 2007, Hungary
Table 4: Livestock by size of the farm, 2007, Hungary
Table 5: Subsistence farming, 2007, Hungary

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 Hungary.

The 2007 FSS recorded 626 300 agricultural holdings in Hungary, which represents a 12 % decrease since 2005. The average area has increased by 12 % reaching 29 ha per holding.

Main statistical findings

85 % of the utilised agriculture area is arable land

In 2007, about 141 000 agricultural holdings in Hungary had an economic size of at least one European size unit, compared to 157 000 in 2005 (a 10 % reduction).

These farms made use of 4.05 million hectares (ha) of utilised agricultural area (UAA), (0.2 % more than in 2005), which makes the average size of a holding in Hungary 29 ha (compared with 26 ha in 2005). See Graph 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 209 000 annual work units (AWUs), the equivalent of 209 000 people working full time, a decrease of 10 % since 2005. The average area per AWU was 19.4 ha (around 2 ha more than in 2005). The organisation and distribution of the labour force in Hungary is described in Graph 2 and Table 1).

The farms contained 2.1 million livestock units (LSU) in 2007, 1 % less than in 2005. The distribution of livestock by farm size is shown in Table 4 and Graph 3.

Amongst the 141 000 agricultural holdings in 2007:

  • 58 % made use of less than one AWU, while another 13 % made use of two or more AWUs;
  • 31 % used less than 2 ha, while 9 % used 50 ha or more;
  • 55 % produced mainly for own consumption and 35% produced mainly for direct sales;
  • 55 % of Hungarian farms specialised in crops, a 2% increase compared with the 2005 value.
  • 26 % of the holdings specialised in cereals, oil seed and protein crops;
  • 12 % specialised in mixed cropping;
  • 11 % of the holdings were engaged in various crops and livestock combined.

Amongst the sole holders:

  • 14 % were women in 2007;
  • 48 % were aged 55 or more and 7 % were younger than 35 years; and
  • 36 % had another gainful activity in 2007.

In Hungary in 2007, 37 % of the agricultural area was farmed by its owners.

The work of family labour force has decreased by 13 % from 2005 to 2007 and it was 58 % of the total farm labour force in Hungary (a 2 % decrease from 2005).

In spite of a 10 % decrease in the number of holdings with organic farming, there was a 16 % increase in the area under organic production; in 2007 it counted for 1.8 % of the UAA. The average area of these types of holdings was 155 ha. Details of land use by size of farm are given in Table 3.

There was a noticeable increase in the rape and turnip area, more than doubling from 2005 to 2007, a 112 % increase, going from 2.6 % of the UAA in 2005 to 5.5 % in 2007. On the other hand, the area sown with sunflower and soya was reduced by 17 % and 21 % respectively.

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 figures focus on holdings of at least one European size unit (ESU).

The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO), in collaboration with their regional directorates implemented the survey on the structure of agricultural holdings in Hungary. The FSS 2007 was the third survey after the last Agricultural Census in 2000 (AC 2000). It was carried out between 12 and 30 November 2007 using a combination of exhaustive (for the agricultural enterprises) and sample survey (for the private holdings). The reference day for livestock was the 1 December, and for the labour force queries the 12 months preceding the survey.

The FSS 2007 used two different sources as basis for the 2007 survey, that also reflect the agricultural structure in Hungary:

  • the Farm Register based on the AC 2000 that is annually updated with available statistical information, for the private holdings;
  • the Business Register, an administrative source with a continuous update process for the agricultural enterprises (that are in total around 10 000).

The definition of an agricultural holding complies with the European Commission's definition.

In the case of the private holdings the sample was drawn by a one-stage cluster method. From the 13 676 survey districts of the census 2000 about 15% of the districts were selected randomly and within these 2 013 sampled districts a full scope observation has been carried out. A separate stratum of 185 holdings was created based on the size of land area and/or livestock, regardless of the district, this stratum was fully enumerated. Altogether about 111 000 questionnaires were completed using a face-to-face interview.

In the case of the agricultural enterprises and the 185 large farms referred above, the questionnaire was sent by post. The results were 9 000 questionnaires returned, 7 600 of which were engaged in agricultural activities.

Administrative sources, from the Hungarian organisations that certify the organic farming were used for providing information on these types of activities. Data on quality wine is also extracted from the wine register.

Non-response in the 2007 FSS in Hungary was quite low: 0.4 % for the private holdings and 0.07 % for the enterprises.

For each activity (`enterprise`) on a farm (for instance wheat, dairy cow or vineyard), a standard gross margin 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 Hungary it is 1800 hours (225 working days of 8 working hours per day).

A livestock unit (LSU) is equivalent to a dairy cow. The number of animals (number of heads) is converted into LSU using a set of coefficients reflecting the feed requirements of the different animal categories.

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 modernized 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 analyze and follow these developments.

See also

Further Eurostat information

Publications

  • National Methodological Report – FSS 2007 Hungary (available on request)

Main tables

Farm structure: historical data (1990-2007) (t_ef)

Database

Farm structure (ef)

Dedicated section

Ad-hoc tables: Farm Structure Survey

Methodology / Metadata

External links

Retrieved from "https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Archive:Farm_structure_in_Hungary_-_2007_results&oldid=243905"