Utilised agricultural area per one farm keeps growing

Provisional Integrated Farm Statistics (IFS) 2023 compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau shows that in 2023 there were 57.4 thousand economically active agricultural holdings in Latvia, and these holdings managed 1.97 million hectares of utilised agricultural area (UAA).

The number of economically active farms is reducing. The figure has declined by 26 thousand (31.1 %) over the period from 2010 to 2023 and by 11.6 thousand (16.8 %) since the last Agricultural Census in 2020. However, the total UAA has grown by 173.2 thousand hectares from 2010 to 2020 and by 0.4 thousand hectares over the last three years. Moreover, agricultural holdings tend to get larger. The average UAA per one farm made up 34.3 hectares, which is 5.8 hectares (20.4 %) more than in 2020.

As for the farming types, field crops are predominant in Latvia. However, the proportion of holdings engaged in this type of farming among all farms has reduced from 61.1 % in 2020 to 54.5 % in 2023. Dairying takes the second leading position – 10.6 % in 2023, with no significant change since 2020 when the proportion made up 10.8 %.

As compared to 2020, more farms are engaged in mixed cropping (8.9 %), grazing livestock (without dairying) (8.8 %), permanent crops (5.9 %), and horticulture (2.1 %). Yet, the share of farms in mixed crop and livestock farming has dropped to 7.5 % (from 10.7 % in 2020). Granivores as well as mixed livestock were the least popular farming types in 2023 (1.0 % and 0.7 % of all farms, respectively).

Labour force in agriculture accounted for 177.2 thousand people in 2023, and regular labour force¹ made up 82.3 % of it. Since the total number of agricultural holdings has declined in the last three years, labour force in agriculture reduced as well. The total labour force in agriculture has dropped by 8.5 thousand people (4.6 %) and regular labour force by 9.4 thousand people (6.1 %).

The bulk of regular labour force in agriculture (89.3 %) worked part-time (i.e., fewer than 1839 hours per year) in 2023. The rest of the regular labour force (15.6 thousand people, representing 10.7 %) worked full-time (i.e., 1840 hours per year). The full-time labour force has reduced by 0.3 percentage points since 2020 and by 1.5 thousand people (9.0 %) over the past three years.

IFS 2023 is also used to collect data for agri-environmental indicators, e.g., to collect information about organic farming and soil management practices. The collected data, particularly relevant for addressing environmental and climate issues, will assist decision-makers in evaluating and implementing support measures under Latvian and EU Common Agricultural Policy.

In 2023, there were 3.7 thousand organic farms² in Latvia, and they managed 297.4 thousand hectares of land (15.1 % of the total UAA). Certified organic areas occupied 261.1 thousand hectares (87.8 %) and areas under conversion took 36.4 thousand hectares (12.2 %). Compared to 2020, the number of organic farms has reduced by 8.5 % and their UAA has grown by 4.2 %.

A total of 1.13 million hectares of arable land were cultivated with various tilling methods in 2023. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, selection criteria, as well as each of them needs specific equipment and uses specific technologies. In small holdings³, all arable land was cultivated with conventional tillage (which involves inversion of the soil, with burying of crop residues).

Conventional tillage was the main soil cultivation method also in medium-sized holdings, however, 14.5 thousand hectares (8.5 %) of their utilised arable land were treated with  conservational (low) tillage (which leaves plant residues (at least 30 % of the total residues) on the soil surface for erosion control and moisture conservation, normally by not inverting the soil).

Large holdings used both methods for almost equal proportions of UAA. Zero tillage (in which the crop is sown directly into soil not tilled since the harvest of the previous crop), however, was used on 358.8 thousand hectares (39.5 %) of arable land.

IFS is collected every three years. Based on unified methodology, IFS surveys are conducted across all EU and EEA countries and are aimed at collecting data supporting agricultural, environmental, and climate policy implementation. IFS gives the latest data for farm structure at regional and municipal level.

More detailed IFS 2023 is available in the official statistics portal.

Methodological information

¹ Labour force in agriculture – all persons aged over 15, which during the last 12 months before the reference date were employed in crop production, animal production or provided agricultural services for pay or profit in goods or services. The number of hours worked is calculated considering only the hours actually worked in agriculture, including idle time and rest time and excluding lunch breaks and time worked in household and other non-agricultural works, as well as vocations, holidays and illnesses.

Regular labour force – persons who during the last twelve months have worked for the holding each week regardless of the working week duration. This indicator includes persons who because of the type of farming were permanently employed only during the work season, for a definite job or production cycle.

² Organic farm – a holding to which organic farming control institutions have granted an organic farming certificate, transition period certificate or reference on initiation of the transition period.

³ Agricultural holdings are broken down into economic size groups based on a Standard Output (SO). SO is a standard indicator characterising (economic) activity of agricultural holding, i.e., the value acquired from one hectare of agricultural crops or one livestock head (unit), estimated at prices of the corresponding region and expressed in euro. Holdings with SO under 14.9 thousand euro are small holdings, with SO 15.0–99.9 thousand euro – medium-sized holdings, and with SO above 100 thousand euro – large holdings.

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

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