Agricultural area and livestock (discontinued), 31 July 2008, preliminary figures

The total grain area for those who applied for agricultural production subsidies amounted to 3.1 million decares in 2008. Barley comprised 42 per cent of the total grain area, while wheat and oats covered 30 and 25 per cent respectively.

The total agricultural area was 10.2 million decares in 2008, of which 8.4 million decares were fully cultivated. The area of meadows for mowing and pastureland covered 6.6 million decares in 2008 (?).

Increasing number of beef cows

The number of dairy cows fell by 5 300 to 248 000 in 2008. During the last ten years, the number of dairy cows has been reduced by almost 20 per cent. In the same period, the number of beef cows has increased by 26 000 to 63 000, an increase of 71 per cent.

The number of breeding pigs increased with 1 000 from 2007 to a total of 99 000 in 2008.The number of dairy goats has been reduced with 25 per cent to a total of 39 000 during the last ten years.

Organic farming

In 2008, the organic farmland covered 387 000 decares of agricultural area in use, or 3.8 per cent of the total area. 26 100 cattle were registered on holdings approved for organic farming in 2008. About 7 300 of these were dairy cows, and 3 500 beef cows.

Tables:

• Table 1 Agricultural area, by use. 1998-2008*
• Table 2 Domestic animals. 1998-2008*
• Table 3 Agricultural area, by county and use
• Table 4 Cattle, by county. 2008*
• Table 5 Holdings with organic farming and area approved as organically operated. 2002-2007*
• Table 6 Domestic animals by holdings approved for organic farming. 2002-2008*