Agricultural area and livestock (discontinued), 31 July 2004, preliminary figures

The total agricultural area for those who applied for agricultural production subsidies was 10.23 million decares in 2004 of which 8.6 million decares were fully cultivated. The fully cultivated area has decreased by 176 500 decares in the course of the last five years. The grain area was 3.2 million decares, corresponding to 32 per cent of the total agricultural area.

Barley represented 45 per cent of the total grain area, while oats and wheat represented 26 per cent each. A total of 16 800 holdings grew grain and oil seeds in 2004, and the average holding with grain and oil seeds grew 196 decares of the corresponding crops this year.

The area of meadows for mowing and pastures covered 6.45 million decares in 2004. Three fourth of this area is fully cultivated land.

More beef cows, fewer dairy cows

The number of cows decreased from 329 400 in 2003 to 323 800 in 2004. The number of beef cows is rising, while the number of dairy cows is decreasing. It was about 52 700 beef cows in 2004, an increase of 1 400 from 2003. The number of dairy cows decreased in the same period by 7 000 to 271 100. The average holding with cow had 15.7 cows in 2004 compared with 13.2 in 1999.

Tables:

• Table 1 Agricultural area, by use. 1995-2004*
• Table 2 Agricultural area, by county and use
• Table 3 Domestic animals. 1995-2004*
• Table 4 Cattle, by county. 2004*
• Table 5 Holdings, by area used for grain and oil seeds. 1995-2004*
• Table 6 Holdings with cows, by size of herd. 1995-2004*