Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
For more information, you can consult the Eurostat glossary page on the standard output.
3.2. Classification system
Data collected include information on the number of harvests, value, quantity and unit price corresponding to the standard output coefficients of a list of products, broken down by FADN region for each country (reference area). Such values are expressed in euro (and in national currency for countries out of euro area).
The list of products is based on the classifications of crop and livestock variables available in Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2018/1091.
The FADN regions refer to the Farm Accountancy Data Network divisions that are territories of a Member State, or any part thereof, delimited with a view to the selection of returning holdings. See Council Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 for more information.
The standard output coefficients are used to calculate the standard output of agricultural holdings and to classify agricultural holdings by type of farming and by economic size. The Farm Type is determined by the relative contribution of the different productions to the total standard output of the holding.
The standard output coefficient of an agricultural product (crop or livestock), abbreviated as SOC, is the average monetary value of the agricultural output at farm-gate price, in euro per hectare or per head of livestock.
Other concepts and definitions are presented in the Typology handbook (RI/CC 1500 rev 5) prepared by the Committee for the Farm Accountancy Data Network.
Standard Output Coefficients (SOC) are collected under the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), by FADN regions in each country. FADN regions are mapped with NUTS regions. For more information on NUTS regions, see the NUTS classification.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The SO 2004 was calculated using the average of 2003, 2004 and 2005 prices. It is applied in 2007 Farm structure survey data and has been applied to 2005 Farm structure survey to allow comparability over the time periods.
The SO 2007 was calculated using the average of 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 prices. It is applied in the 2010 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2010 was calculated using the average of 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 prices. It is applied in the 2013 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2013 was calculated using the average of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 prices. It is applied in the 2016 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2017 was calculated using the average of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 prices. It is applied in the 2020 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2020 was calculated using the average of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 prices. It is applied in the 2023 Farm structure survey data.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
Units of measure utilised in the SOC data set are listed in the data transmission file to Eurostat by product. In general terms the used ones are EUR/100HEAD, EUR/100M2, EUR/HA, EUR/HEAD, EUR/HIVE.
Article 4 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1198/2014 states on the reference period for the standard output: “For the purposes of calculating standard outputs for the Union farm structure survey for year N, as referred to in Article 5b(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009, the reference period consists of the five successive years from year N-5 to year N-1. The standard outputs shall be determined using average basic data calculated over the reference period laid down in the first paragraph and commonly referred to as ‘N-3 standard outputs’. These N-3 standard outputs shall be updated to take account of economic trends at least each time a Union farm structure survey is carried out.”
For IFS 2020 this means that the Standard Output Coefficients required will be those calculated on the period of 5 years that spans from 2015 to 2019 (SOC2017)
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Oral agreement of 2001 between the national institute of statistics (NIS/INS, now ADS) and the regional departments of agriculture in Flanders and Wallonia.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not requested for this reference year.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Data is aggregated and can’t be referred back to individual data.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Original data is anonymized and only used for the purpose of calculating the SOC 2020.
8.1. Release calendar
Released for the calculation of SO and typology of the regional FADN and national population dataset FSS
The SO coefficient of Wallonia are published in internet
8.2. Release calendar access
No public release and no date pre-defined for Flanders
The So coefficient are used by other services to calculate regional compensation then the SO are published once they are approved by Eurostat (Wallonia)
8.3. Release policy - user access
SOC data are published on Eurobase under the Additional data - Eurostat (europa.eu) on Agriculture statistics. The publication of the data normally takes place within N+1 year after the deadline for the data transmission. Nevertheless updates of the data can occur, triggered by DG Agri and Eurostat revision and post-validation checks.
Validation by experts, validation by Eurostat in times series and among regions and Member States.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not requested for this reference year.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
SO and typology calculations of the regional FADN, SO, typology and SVC calculation for the regional population dataset (Flanders)
SO and typology calculations of the regional FADN, SO and typology calculation for the regional population dataset. They are used to estimate a regional compensation and opening the right to investment aid (Wallonia).
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not useful on an individual level, quite useful for stratification and extrapolation purposes (clustering)
12.3. Completeness
All SOC2020 asked by Eurostat, have been provided, non existent or non-significant coefficients are omitted.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Sometimes data from other countries or experts is used
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Impossible to calculate an overall accuracy. For the bigger part of the agricultural production this will be quite good, since there is enough data available and the results are validated by experts.
13.2. Sampling error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not requested for this reference year.
SOC 2020 is based on data 2018 to 2022. The results are useful until the SOC2023 will be published.
14.1. Timeliness
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not requested for this reference year.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not requested for this reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
We respected the dead line on 31 December of 2023
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not requested for this reference year.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Comparison between the regions Wallonia and Flanders, comparison of Flanders with the Netherlands, comparison of Wallonia with France and Luxembourg
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not requested for this reference year.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Annual SO calculations, comparison with SOC2017 and SOC2013 if possible, since product codes have been changed.
The evolution of SOC 2020 vs. 2017 was the following:
A2010
higher outputs in 2019 to 2022 and vey high in 2019 and 2022 in particular
A2230
outputs vey high 2022 in particular; difficult category to calculate
A2300
weighted average of SO of A2300F and A2300G; cf A2300F
A2300F
increase milk price in 2022
A3110
Data change.
A6710R
Price increase
C1110T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices) 35% price increase
C1200T
Sharp price increase not offset by lower yields
C1300T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices)
C1500T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices). Sharp price increase not offset by lower yields (mainly concerns triticale)
E0000T
new method: SOC2017 would be 3910 euro/ha hence a decrease of 15 %. Method: weighted average seeds of industrial crops and seeds and seedlings of vegetables: difference between both is high (see pdf).
F1200T
higher yields and individual SO
I1190T
follows rapeseed trends
I2100T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (except 2020) and price in 2022
I2200T
I2200T
L0000T
No details on the yield, only of the output per ha
N0000S
Normal increase of annual SO in times series
P0000T
increasing moving average of SO, little number of observations though
U1000
increasing SO through years, decreasing number of observations and population,
V0000_S0000S
increasing SO, weighted (Tomatoes and strawberries effect)
X0000T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices)
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not requested for this reference year.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not requested for this reference year.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not requested for this reference year.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not requested for this reference year.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not requested for this reference year.
The unexpected change of product codes and definitions had some additional cost and burden.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Yes, there were some difficulties with the definitions of the new product codes. Also some of the calculations were done on the national level, where we had to adjust for the different collection/calculation of the regional results.
17.2. Data revision - practice
No revisions.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not requested for this reference year.
18.1. Source data
FADN survey data for most calculations of crop and animal production;
Tobacco by the tobacco cooperative;
Christmas tree by expert;
The hope and flax by studies;
Goats and sheep, other poultry then chicken by a neighbouring country;
FSS for weighting.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
SOC data transmission occurs every 3 years.
18.3. Data collection
Validation by Dept. Landbouw en Visserij (Flanders), Département de l’agriculture (Wallonia) Eurostat and DG Agri
For more information, you can consult the Eurostat glossary page on the standard output.
31 December 2023
The standard output coefficient of an agricultural product (crop or livestock), abbreviated as SOC, is the average monetary value of the agricultural output at farm-gate price, in euro per hectare or per head of livestock.
Other concepts and definitions are presented in the Typology handbook (RI/CC 1500 rev 5) prepared by the Committee for the Farm Accountancy Data Network.
Standard Output Coefficients (SOC) are collected under the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), by FADN regions in each country. FADN regions are mapped with NUTS regions. For more information on NUTS regions, see the NUTS classification.
Article 4 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1198/2014 states on the reference period for the standard output: “For the purposes of calculating standard outputs for the Union farm structure survey for year N, as referred to in Article 5b(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009, the reference period consists of the five successive years from year N-5 to year N-1. The standard outputs shall be determined using average basic data calculated over the reference period laid down in the first paragraph and commonly referred to as ‘N-3 standard outputs’. These N-3 standard outputs shall be updated to take account of economic trends at least each time a Union farm structure survey is carried out.”
For IFS 2020 this means that the Standard Output Coefficients required will be those calculated on the period of 5 years that spans from 2015 to 2019 (SOC2017)
Impossible to calculate an overall accuracy. For the bigger part of the agricultural production this will be quite good, since there is enough data available and the results are validated by experts.
Units of measure utilised in the SOC data set are listed in the data transmission file to Eurostat by product. In general terms the used ones are EUR/100HEAD, EUR/100M2, EUR/HA, EUR/HEAD, EUR/HIVE.
Not requested for this reference year.
FADN survey data for most calculations of crop and animal production;
Tobacco by the tobacco cooperative;
Christmas tree by expert;
The hope and flax by studies;
Goats and sheep, other poultry then chicken by a neighbouring country;
FSS for weighting.
SOC data are published on Eurobase under the Additional data - Eurostat (europa.eu) on Agriculture statistics. The publication of the data normally takes place within N+1 year after the deadline for the data transmission. Nevertheless updates of the data can occur, triggered by DG Agri and Eurostat revision and post-validation checks.
Comparison between the regions Wallonia and Flanders, comparison of Flanders with the Netherlands, comparison of Wallonia with France and Luxembourg
Annual SO calculations, comparison with SOC2017 and SOC2013 if possible, since product codes have been changed.
The evolution of SOC 2020 vs. 2017 was the following:
A2010
higher outputs in 2019 to 2022 and vey high in 2019 and 2022 in particular
A2230
outputs vey high 2022 in particular; difficult category to calculate
A2300
weighted average of SO of A2300F and A2300G; cf A2300F
A2300F
increase milk price in 2022
A3110
Data change.
A6710R
Price increase
C1110T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices) 35% price increase
C1200T
Sharp price increase not offset by lower yields
C1300T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices)
C1500T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices). Sharp price increase not offset by lower yields (mainly concerns triticale)
E0000T
new method: SOC2017 would be 3910 euro/ha hence a decrease of 15 %. Method: weighted average seeds of industrial crops and seeds and seedlings of vegetables: difference between both is high (see pdf).
F1200T
higher yields and individual SO
I1190T
follows rapeseed trends
I2100T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (except 2020) and price in 2022
I2200T
I2200T
L0000T
No details on the yield, only of the output per ha
N0000S
Normal increase of annual SO in times series
P0000T
increasing moving average of SO, little number of observations though
U1000
increasing SO through years, decreasing number of observations and population,
V0000_S0000S
increasing SO, weighted (Tomatoes and strawberries effect)
X0000T
increasing annual SO 2018-2022 (mainly due to prices)
