Sample survey of agriculture and forestry, 2015/2016, preliminary figures

The total labour input on agricultural holdings in the period 1 August 2015–31 July 2016 amounted to 82 million man-hours. The average labour input in agriculture and horticulture per holding was 2 000 man-hours. 

Holders, spouses/cohabitants and other family members carried out 74 per cent of the labour input in agriculture. Regular and temporary employees and self-employed persons carried out the remainder. Men carried out about 70 per cent of the total labour input in agriculture, women about 22 per cent and self-employed persons or firms 9 per cent in the period 1 August 2015–31 July 2016. 

In 2015/2016, 50 per cent of the agricultural holdings were engaged in one form or another of supplementary industry besides traditional farming. The most common supplementary activity was machinery-related services, which was carried out by around 9 700 holdings. In this context, supplementary industry refers to an activity that uses land, buildings or machinery belonging to the holding. Several activities falling under the definition of supplementary industry require little or no work input, like renting out hunting and fishing rights, buildings or agricultural land.