Share of large holdings is growing

Results from the Integrated Farm Statistics 2023 (IFS 2023) survey conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau show that in Latvia there were 3.0 thousand large agricultural holdings with standard output* over 100 thousand euros per year and they managed 1.2 million hectares or 61 % of the utilised agricultural area (UAA).

Large holdings make up only 5.2 % of all farms, but they manage 61 % of the UAA. Compared to 2020, when Agricultural Census was conducted, both the number of large holdings and UAA have increased. The number of holdings has risen by 0.7 thousand or 30 % while managed agricultural area by 195.2 thousand hectares or 19.5 %.

The number of medium-sized agricultural holdings with a standard output of 15–100 thousand euros per year reached 8.3 thousand, making up 14.4 % of all farms. These farms manage 457.1 thousand hectares or 23.2 % of the total UAA. Over the past three years, the number of medium-sized holdings has increased by 0.4 thousand or 4.7% while the agricultural area they manage has decreased by 60.6 thousand hectares or 11.7 %.

However, 46.2 thousand small farms with a standard output of under 15 thousand euros per year managed 313.1 thousand hectares of agricultural area in 2023. Since 2020 the number of holdings in this economic size group has declined by 12.6 thousand or 21.5% and the agricultural area they manage has dropped by 134.6 thousand hectares or 30.1 %.

In 2023, the total number of agricultural holdings – 57.4 thousand – was 11.6 thousand farms or 16.8 % smaller than recorded in the Agricultural Census 2020, while agricultural area has remained unchanged at 1.97 million hectares. Regular labour force in agriculture totalled 147.5 thousand people, which is 7.8 thousand people or 5.0 % fewer than in 2020. Farm holder family members accounted for 129.6 thousand, making up 87.9 % of the total regular labour force in agriculture.

In 2023, large agricultural holdings managed 1.05 million hectares or 77.2 % of arable land, of which 1.01 million hectares of sown area under agricultural crops. Compared to 2020, arable land in large holdings increased by 146.2 thousand hectares or 16.2 % and the total sown area by 139.4 thousand hectares or 16 %.

Medium-sized and small holdings had significant areas of permanent crops (orchards, berry bushes, and nurseries) as well as meadows and pastures. Permanent crops covered 6 thousand hectares or 61.1 % of the total small holding area while meadows and pastures 231.6 thousand hectares or 38.6 %.

The average size of a farm has grown over the last three years. The average area of an economically active farm was 48 hectares (7 hectares more than in 2020) and the average UAA was 34.3 hectares (5.8 hectares more). The average arable land and sown area per farm have increased as well – by 4.4 hectares or 16.7 % and 4.2 hectares or 16.4 %, respectively. The average number of livestock per one holding has grown from 6.9 livestock units in 2020 to 7.7 livestock units in 2023.

In 2023, 16.6 thousand economically active farms (28.9 %) were engaged in livestock farming. Compared to 2020, the number of such holdings has dropped by 9.3 thousand or 35.9 %. Herd structure is dominated by cattle, which make up 65.4 % of all livestock units (rise of 0.8 percentage points over the past three years). The share of poultry has also increased (by 1.3 percentage points) while the share of pigs, sheep, and goats has reduced.

In 2023, 12.7 thousand agricultural holdings reared 393.2 thousand cattle heads, of which 8.7 thousand holdings had 125.7 thousand dairy cows. The total number of cattle has decreased by 22.4 thousand or 5.4 % and the number of dairy cows by 13.7 thousand or 9.8 %. IFS 2023 results also show that 1.3 thousand large farms had 226.9 thousand cattle heads (57.7 % of the total cattle population) whereas 6.4 thousand small farms had 29.2 thousand cattle (7.4 %).

As for other livestock, 1.5 thousand farms reared 287.2 thousand pigs in 2023. The number of pig farms has dropped by 2.2 thousand or 59 % over the last three years (from 3.7 thousand in 2020 to 1.5 thousand in 2023). Pig population has declined by 39.9 thousand or 12.2 % since 2020. The largest pig herds were registered on large holdings – 162 pig farms had 278.6 thousand pigs (97 % of the total pig population).

In terms of poultry, 3.7 thousand agricultural holdings had 5.9 million poultry heads, of which 3.7 thousand farms had 3.4 million laying hens and 134 farms had 2.4 million broilers.

As regards sheep and goats, 2.4 thousand farms had 104.5 thousand sheep and 1.3 thousand farms had 11.2 thousand goats. The largest numbers of sheep and goats were registered on small and medium-sized holdings – 0.6 thousand medium-sized farms had 57.2 thousand sheep (54.7 % of the total sheep population) and 0.2 thousand medium-sized farms had 5.1 thousand goats (45.5 % of the total goat population).

IFS survey is conducted every three years in between the Agricultural Censuses which are conducted every ten years. IFS is collected in all European Union and European Economic Area countries based on a common and proven methods and provides up-to-date information on farm structure at regional and municipality level.

Detailed IFS 2023 will be available on the official statistics portal as of 20 December 2024.

Methodological information

* Standard output (SO) is a standard indicator characterizing economic activity of an agricultural holding, i.e., value of products acquired from one hectare of agricultural crops or one livestock head (unit), estimated at prices of the corresponding region and expressed in euros.

Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
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More information:
Ilze Januška
Agricultural Statistics Section
E-mail: Ilze.Januska@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366896