Archive:Enlargement countries - agriculture, forestry and fisheries statistics

Data extracted in May 2021.

Planned article update: March 2022.

Highlights

In 2019, the contribution of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to value added in the EU candidate countries and potential candidates varied between 6.6 % in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 21.0 % in Albania, compared with 1.8 % in the EU.

Employment in agriculture, forestry and fisheries as a share of the total fell from 42.7 % in Albania in 2009 to 36.4 % in 2019 but rose from 2.6 % to 5.2 % over the same period in Kosovo*.

Cereal production in the EU candidate countries and potential candidates in 2019 was close to one sixth of the level in the EU.

Employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2014 and 2019

Countries are ranked based on 2019 data.
Country codes: AL = Albania; TR = Turkey; RS = Serbia; MK = North Macedonia; ME = Montenegro; BA = Bosnia and Herzegovina; XK = Kosovo*
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Albania: Estimates.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo: Persons aged 15 and more. Data supplied by and under the responsibility of the national statistical authority.
Source: Eurostat (online data code: lfsa_egan2) and from annual data collection cycle – see Data Sources

This article is part of an online publication and provides information on a range of statistics for the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors of the European Union (EU) enlargement countries, in other words the candidate countries and potential candidates. Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Turkey currently have candidate status, while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* are potential candidates.

The article provides an overview of recent developments in the candidate countries and potential candidates, presenting indicators such as the relative importance of agriculture, forestry and fishing in terms of their contribution to gross value added and employment. It also provides more detailed data on agricultural land use, agricultural production, livestock populations and meat production, as well as trade in food, live animals, drinks and tobacco.

Full article

Gross value added and employment

The share of agriculture, forestry and fishing in value added is considerably higher in candidate countries and potential candidates than in the EU

The relative weight of agriculture, forestry and fishing in terms of the contribution of these activities to gross value added was 1.8 % in the EU in 2019 (see Figure 1). This was considerably smaller than in any of the candidate countries and potential candidates among which Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded the lowest share at 6.6 %. In North Macedonia, these activities contributed close to one tenth of gross value added (9.3 %), with Albania recording the highest share, at 21.0 %.

Figure 1: Gross value added from agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2009 and 2019
(% share on total gross value added)
Source: Eurostat (nama_10_a10)

In 2019, the relative contribution of agriculture, forestry and fishing to gross value added in the EU was marginally smaller than it had been in 2009 (1.9 %). Similarly, most candidate countries and potential candidates recorded a decline in their shares of value added from these activities. The largest fall — down 7.1 percentage points (pp) between 2009 and 2019 — was recorded in Kosovo. By contrast, in Albania an increase of 1.6 pp was observed.

Employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing in the EU accounted for 4.1 % of the total number of persons employed in 2019 (see Figure 2); this was 2.3 times the contribution of these activities to total value added. The long-term reduction in the proportion of the total EU workforce employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing continued, falling by 0.8 pp between 2009 and 2019.

Figure 2: Employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2014 and 2019
(% share on total employment)
Source: Eurostat (lfsa_egan2) and from annual data collection cycle – see Data Sources

Among the candidate countries and potential candidates, Kosovo (5.2 %) recorded the lowest employment share for agriculture, forestry and fishing, while the 6.1 % share in Montenegro was the only other one below 10 %. By contrast, one sixth of the workforce was employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing activities in 2019 in Turkey and around 13 % in Serbia and North Macedonia. In Albania, this share was much higher, at 36.4 %.

Land use

Close to half of North Macedonia’s and Turkey’s area is used for agriculture

The area that is used for agriculture varies according to climate, terrain and soil type, while the level of economic development and population density may also play a role in determining land use. Within the EU roughly equal amounts of land (almost two fifths of the total area) are used for agriculture and for forestry, with the remainder generally composed of built-up areas (villages, towns and cities), infrastructure (roads or railways), scrub or waste land.

The utilised agricultural area (UAA) refers to the area that is actually used for agricultural purposes. In 2019, the combined utilised agricultural area for the candidate countries and potential candidates was around 46 million hectares, equivalent to almost 29 % of the total for the EU. Among the candidate countries and potential candidates, Turkey had by far the largest utilised agricultural area, some 38 million hectares. Relative to their total area, North Macedonia and Turkey recorded the highest proportions utilised for agricultural purposes, close to half (49.7 % and 48.3 % respectively — see Figure 3). In Albania (40.8 %), the share was also over two fifths. In Serbia (39.3 %) and Kosovo (38.6 %), the share of utilised agricultural area was similar to that in the EU (38.3 %). Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded an agricultural share of the total area that was more than one third (35.3 %), while Montenegro registered by far the lowest share, less than one fifth (18.5 %).

Figure 3: Utilised agricultural area, 2009 and 2019
(% share on total area)
Source: Eurostat (apro_cpnh1) and (reg_area3) and from annual data collection cycle – see Data Sources

Agricultural production

The production of cereals in candidate countries and potential candidates was close to one sixth of the level in the EU

The production of cereals in the EU was 296.4 million tonnes in 2019. The combined harvest for the candidate countries and potential candidates was more than 47.1 million tonnes, equivalent to 15.9 % of the output of the EU (see Table 1). For potatoes, the combined production of the candidate countries and potential candidates was equivalent to 12.9 % of the EU total (6.6 million tonnes), with production concentrated in Turkey, with almost 5.0 million tonnes.

Table 1: Agricultural production, 2009, 2014 and 2019
(thousand tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (apro_cpnh1) and (apro_mk_farm) and from annual data collection cycle – see Data Sources

Crop production levels can fluctuate substantially from year to year as a result of climatic/weather conditions and variations in demand. Apart from in North Macedonia, production of cereals was higher in 2019 than in 2009 in all the candidate countries and potential candidates, as it was in the EU. When looking at potatoes production, there was a reduction in the EU over the same period (-8.8 %). Similarly, Serbia (-21.8 %), Bosnia and Herzegovina (-8.8 %) and North Macedonia (-8.0 %) registered a decrease in the potatoes production between 2009 and 2019. In contrast, the other candidate countries and potential candidates registered substantial growths (between 15.0 % in Turkey and 43.3 % in Montenegro).

The level of raw milk available on farms (which may include milk other than cows’ milk) in the EU was 5.6 % higher in 2019 (158.2 million tonnes) than it had been in 2014 (149.7 million tonnes). The latest information for the candidate countries and potential candidates shows that Turkey had by far the highest milk production (23.0 million tonnes) and was the only candidate country or potential candidate country to report a larger increase in milk production between 2014 and 2019 (+23.2 %) than did the EU.

Livestock: population structure and production

Climatic and cultural/religious particularities in the candidate countries and potential candidates are reflected in their livestock production and slaughtering

The structure of livestock populations in the candidate countries and potential candidates is presented in Figure 4. In the EU, the number of pigs was the highest in 2019 compared to other livestock (49 % of the livestock population). Similarly, pigs also came first in Serbia (52 %). In contrast, farmers in Kosovo were specialised in raising cattle. In the other candidate countries and potential candidates, the most common form of livestock was sheep in 2019, with share from 49 % in Bosnia and Herzegovina to 61 % in North Macedonia. Albania had the highest share of goats among the candidate countries and potential candidates (27 %). Some of these differences between countries may reflect religious or cultural practices.

Figure 4: Livestock population, December 2019
(% share on total number of heads)
Source: Eurostat (apro_mt_lscatl), (apro_mt_lspig), (apro_mt_lssheep) and (apro_mt_lsgoat)

Turkey alone reported 44.3 million sheep and goats in 2019 and the combined total for the candidate countries and potential candidates was 51.0 million. As such, the number of sheep and goats in candidate countries and potential candidates was relatively high when compared to the number in the EU, almost one quarter the estimated level.

The livestock figures shown in Figure 4 are, unsurprisingly, reflected in the meat production figures in Table 2, notably in the relatively low level of pig meat production in some candidate countries and potential candidates. The quantity of pig meat produced in the EU in 2019 was 3.3 times the level of output from cattle. Among the candidate countries and potential candidates, the same ratio was observed for North Macedonia while it was higher in Serbia where pig meat production was 3.7 times as high as the level of meat production from cattle. By contrast, less pig meat was produced than meat from cattle in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, as well as in Turkey where pig meat production was negligible. In contrast, Turkey alone reported 2.2 million meat from poultry in 2019 and the combined total for the candidate countries and potential candidates was 2.4 million.

Table 2: Slaughtered animal production, 2014 and 2019
(tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (apro_mt_pann) and from annual data collection cycle – see Data Sources

Compared to 2014, the levels of poultry slaughtering increased substantially in all candidate countries and potential candidates, with the exception of Albania and North Macedonia. The most noticeable growth was observed for Montenegro where it more than trebled in the period to 2019 (from low base). In contrast, the quantity of slaughtered cattle decreased by 9 % in 2019 compared to 2009 in the candidate countries and potential candidates overall, from 190 million tonnes to 172 million tonnes. Regarding pigs meat, in Turkey, North Macedonia, Albania, Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the slaughtering of pigs decreased (-100 %, -35 %, -24 %, and -9 % respectively), while it showed a positive trend in Montenegro (+32 %), Serbia (+15 %) and Belarus (+7 %).

Trade in food, live animals, drinks and tobacco

Note that the values of imports and exports shown in Table 3 are presented in current prices. Fluctuating prices for raw and processed food may have a considerable impact on the trade position of a country, while climatic/weather conditions can determine if there is a surplus of food for export or the need for more imports.

The EU consistently recorded a trade surplus in food, drinks and tobacco products over the period 2010-2020; note that the trade data presented for the EU in Table 3 concern extra-EU trade only.

Serbia and Turkey both recorded trade surplus during the entire period from 2010 to 2020. By contrast, the other candidate countries and potential candidates recorded trade deficits for food, drinks and tobacco throughout the period shown.

Table 3: Trade in food, drinks and tobacco, 2010-2020
(million EUR)
Source: Eurostat (ext_st_eu27_2020sitc) and (ext_lt_intercc)

Collectively, exports of food, drinks and tobacco from candidate countries and potential candidates were valued at EUR 19.5 billion in 2020, equivalent to 11.7 % of the EU total, while the value of imports of these goods to the candidate countries and potential candidates was EUR 14.3 billion, equivalent to 12.6 % of the EU total.

The highest value of exports of food, drinks and tobacco in 2020 among the candidate countries and potential candidates was recorded in Turkey (EUR 15.1 billion), which was more than three quarters of all the food, drinks and tobacco exports from the candidate countries and potential candidates. Serbia was the only other candidate country or potential candidate with such exports valued in excess of EUR 1 billion, while exports of food, drinks and tobacco from Montenegro and Kosovo were valued at less than EUR 80 million.

Exports of food, drinks and tobacco from Montenegro increased by 4.7 % in 2020 compared to 2010, the smallest overall change rate among the candidate countries and potential candidates. Over the same period, such exports from North Macedonia increased by 38.4 %, from Bosnia and Herzegovina by 53.9 % and from Turkey by 77.0 %. Serbia saw their exports of these products more than double, while the value of exports from Kosovo almost trebled. The largest relative increase was recorded for Albania, as its exports of food, drinks and tobacco were 5.1 times as high in 2020 as they were in 2010.

Source data for tables and graphs

Enlargement countries — agriculture, forestry and fishing: tables and figures

Data sources

Data for the candidate countries and potential candidates are collected for a wide range of indicators each year through a questionnaire that is sent by Eurostat to candidate countries or potential candidates. A network of contacts has been established for updating these questionnaires, generally within the national statistical offices, but potentially including representatives of other data-producing organisations (for example, central banks or government ministries). The statistics shown in this article are made available free-of-charge on Eurostat’s website, together with a wide range of other socio-economic indicators collected as part of this initiative.

The situation for international trade statistics is somewhat different, as more detailed international trade statistics are available from Eurostat’s Comext database.

All statistics presented in this article as monetary values in euro terms are based on current price series.

The utilised agricultural area describes the area used for farming. It includes arable land, permanent grassland, permanent crops (such as orchards, olive trees and vineyards) and other agricultural land such as kitchen gardens.

Statistics on crop production relate to harvested production. Cereals include wheat (common wheat and spelt and durum wheat), rye, maslin, barley, oats, mixed grain other than maslin, grain maize, sorghum, triticale, and other cereal crops such as buckwheat, millet, canary seed and rice.

Meat production is based on the activity of slaughterhouses regarding meat fit for human consumption and estimates for production outside of slaughterhouses.

Tables in this article use the following notation:

Value in italics	data value is forecasted, provisional or estimated and is therefore likely to change;
:	not available, confidential or unreliable value.

Context

Agriculture was one of the first sectors of the economy (following coal and steel) to receive the attention of EU policymakers, and statistics on agriculture were initially designed to monitor the main objectives of the common agricultural policy (CAP). While the CAP remains one of the EU’s most important policies there have been wide ranging reforms, which have led to a range of new objectives designed to correct imbalances and overproduction.

In December 2013, the latest reform of the CAP was formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. The main objectives of the CAP for the period 2014-2020 was to strengthen the competitiveness of the sector, promote sustainable farming and innovation, to support jobs and growth in rural areas and to move financial assistance towards the productive use of land.

In 2018, the European Commission presented legislative proposals for a new, reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) beyond 2020. The reformed CAP should be key to helping the European Union achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal, and 40 % of the funds allocated to the CAP over the next 7-years programming period should be dedicated to actions contributing towards these.

The reformed CAP will help European farmers to contribute more decisively to tackling climate change, protecting the environment and moving to more sustainable and resilient food systems. It will generate economic opportunities for farmers and improve their position in the food supply chain, and better link support for farm income and rural areas to the take-up of sustainable models and practices.

For the years 2021-22, a transitional regulation (Regulation (EU) 2020/2220) is in force, extending and amending provisions set out in the preceding regulations. It will remain in force until the new framework of CAP strategic plans is implemented (due to begin on 1 January 2023).

While basic principles and institutional frameworks for producing statistics are already in place, the candidate countries and potential candidates are expected to increase progressively the volume and quality of their data and to transmit these data to Eurostat in the context of the EU enlargement process. EU standards in the field of statistics require the existence of a statistical infrastructure based on principles such as professional independence, impartiality, relevance, confidentiality of individual data and easy access to official statistics; they cover methodology, classifications and standards for production.

Eurostat has the responsibility to monitor that statistical production of the candidate countries and potential candidates complies with the EU acquis in the field of statistics. To do so, Eurostat supports the national statistical offices and other producers of official statistics through a range of initiatives, such as pilot surveys, training courses, traineeships, study visits, workshops and seminars, and participation in meetings within the European Statistical System (ESS). The ultimate goal is the provision of harmonised, high-quality data that conforms to European and international standards. Additional information on statistical cooperation with the enlargement countries is provided here.

Notes

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.