Brussels, 07/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - Employment in the agricultural sector in the EU27 decreased by 25%, the equivalent of 3.7 million full-time jobs between 2000 and 2009, according to figures released by Eurostat on Friday 7 May. It fell by 17% in the EU15 and by 31% in the 12 member states that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. In 2009, employment in the agricultural sector was equivalent to 11.2 million full-time jobs in the EU27, of which 5.4 million were in the EU15 and 5.8 million in the 12 new EU countries.
Between 2000 and 2009, real agricultural income per worker increased by 5% on average in the EU27, the change differing significantly between the new member states (+61%) and the EU15 (-10%).
In 2009, the five member states with the highest employment in the agricultural sector accounted for almost two thirds of the EU27 total: Poland (20% of EU27 employment in agricultural sector, the equivalent of 2.2 million full-time workers), Romania (19% and 2.1 million), Italy (10% and 1.2 million), Spain and France (both 8% and 0.9 million). Between 2000 and 2009, employment in the agricultural sector fell in all member states. In general, the largest decreases were found among the 12 new countries: Estonia (-55%), Bulgaria (-48%) and Slovakia (-43%). The smallest decreases were registered in Greece (-3%) and Ireland (-4%). Among the five member states with the highest employment in the agricultural sector, employment fell by 11% in Poland, 41% in Romania, 16% in Italy and 17% in both Spain and France.
Between 2000 and 2009, real agricultural income per worker rose in 17 member states and fell in 10. The highest increases were found in Latvia (+140%), Estonia (+131%), Poland (+107%), the United Kingdom (+71%) and Lithuania (+70%), and the largest decreases in Denmark (-46%), Italy and Luxembourg (both -36%), Ireland ( 30%) and the Netherlands (-28%).
Between 2008 and 2009, real agricultural income per worker fell by 12% in the EU27. Real agricultural income per worker fell in 21 member states, remained nearly unchanged in two and rose in four. The largest decreases were found in Hungary (-32%), Luxembourg (-25%), Ireland (-24%), Germany and Italy (both -21%), and the highest increases in Malta (+8%) and Denmark (+4%).
Agricultural organisations call for measures to be taken in fruit and veg,
milk, cereals and olive oil sectors
Reacting to the figures (including the 12% drop in agricultural income in 2009), COPA-COGECA says that several sectors were “particularly hard hit” in 2009, with sharp declines of 30% seen in the EU cereals sector, 24% in the olive oil sector, 21% in the dairy sector, 12% in the fruit sector. “One of the main reasons for the income fall was the drop of 10.4% in the value of EU agricultural produce. Since 2003, there has been a downward trend in the EU farm sector, with EU agricultural prices falling by 2.1% on average each year and EU consumer prices increasing in general by 2.5% annually,” they say. COPA-COGECA call for measures to be agreed immediately in the EU fruit and vegetables sector, with increased withdrawal possibilities. “In the dairy sector, there must be reasonable management of stocks and for cereals, full use of market management tools must be made. We are also calling for private storage to be opened in the olive oil sector,” they add. (L.C./transl.rt)