Most Latvian agricultural holdings specialised in field cropping

Provisional results of the Agricultural Census 2020^[i]compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in 2020, an average agricultural holding managed 28.5 ha of agricultural land, which is 16.1 ha or 2.3 times more than in 2001 and 7 ha more than in 2010.

Since 2001, when the first agricultural census after the restoration of independence took place, holdings have become larger, both in terms of land area used and in terms of economic size - standard output^[ii]. On average, an agricultural holding covers 41 ha, has 28.5 ha of utilised agricultural area (UAA) and employs 2.3 persons.

Since 2001, the number of large holdings has been increasing. In 2020, 73.8 % of total agricultural area is managed on holdings with more than 50 ha of UAA per holding. The number of such holdings has increased gradually from 4.3 thousand in 2001 to 6.5 thousand in 2020 (by 53.5 %). On average, 222 ha of agricultural area is managed per large holding, which is 79.4 ha more than in 2001 and 40 ha more than in 2010.

This includes 3.7 thousand holdings with more than 100 ha and an average utilised agricultural area of 335.9 ha. 20 years ago, the average agricultural area of this group of holdings was 281.7 ha and in 2010 it was 324.5 ha.

The number of small holdings (up to 5 ha of UAA) and the area of agricultural land they managed are decreasing. In 2020, 32.6 thousand holdings managed 70 thousand ha or 3.6 % of agricultural area. The average holding size in this group is 2.2 ha.

Grouping of holdings by utilised agricultural area

In 2020, total standard output of agricultural holdings was EUR 1.3 billion, an increase of 67 % over the last 10 years. In the group of large holdings, the number of holdings, the area of agricultural area managed and the total standard output have doubled.

The number of large holdings increased by 1.2 thousand compared to 2010 and the utilised agricultural area increased by 423.8 thousand ha. Standard output increased by EUR 480.6 million compared to 2010.

The share of small holdings remains relatively high in 2020, but the agricultural area utilised by them and total standard output have decreased significantly compared to 2010. Small holdings manage 447.7 thousand ha of agricultural land, which is 42.2 % less than in 2010, and their total standard output has decreased by 21.7 %.

Grouping of agricultural holdings by economic size

Over the last 20 years, the total number of persons employed in agriculture has fallen as the number of agricultural holdings has declined. In 2020, 185.5 thousand  persons were employed in agriculture, and 156.5 thousand of them were employed on regular basis. Compared to the number of regularly employed persons in 2001, this represents a decrease of 109 thousand or by 41.1 %.

Since 2010, the number of regularly employed persons has fallen by 24.5 thousand or 13.5 %. Employes in agricultural holdings are mainly owners and their family members, but their share has been decreasing since 2001. In 2020, 86.1 % or 134.8 thousand of the employed persons were owners and their family members, that is 1.8 times fewer than in 2001. In 93 % or 64.2 thousand of agricultural holdings, the owner was also the manager and in 5.2 % or 3.6 thousand holdings, the manager was a member of the owner's family.

Large holdings with more than 100 ha of agricultural area employed 18.5 thousand persons in 2020, or 11.8 % of all regularly employed persons.

In 2020, most holdings (42.2 thousand) were specialised in field cropping, managing 1.1 million ha or 57 % of utilised agricultural area. The main type of farming was field cropping, and the share of these agricultural holdings increased from 38.4 % in 2001 to 61.2 % in 2020.

The majority of holdings are specialised in a particular field, which is why the share of holdings specialised in mixed crop-livestock farming has decreased 3.5 times in the last 20 years. Last year, 10.7 % of the total number of holdings specialised in both mixed crop-livestock and dairy farming. Ten years ago, dairy farming was the second most important type of farming (21.5 % of agricultural holdings).

7.2 % of holdings specialised in breeding of grazing livestock, excluding dairy farming, an there is an increase of 24.5 % compared to 2001 but a decrease of 6.3 % compared to 2010. Between 1.2 % and 3 % of agricultural holdings have another type of farming, but these relatively small sectors have undergone significant changes: the number of holdings specialists in horticulture (7.4 times) and permanent crops (2 times) has increased significantly over the last 20 years.

More information on the number of agricultural holdings, average holding sizes, land use, livestock and agricultural employment in the statistical regions is available in the Official Statistics Portal Business sectors|Agriculture|Other format .

Media requests:
Sanda Rieksta
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone.: +371 67366621, +371 27880666

More information on data:
Ilze Januška
Agricultural Statistics Section
E-mail: Ilze.Januska@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366896

[i] The first agricultural census took place exactly 100 years ago, in 1920, at the same time as the first population census. Six agricultural censuses were held during the first independent Republic of Latvia. After the restoration of independence, agricultural censuses were held in 2001, 2010 and 2020.

[ii]   A standard output (SO) characterizing the economic activity of an agricultural holding, i.e., the value of acquired from one hectare of agricultural crops or one livestock head (unit), estimated at prices of the corresponding region and expressed in EUR.