Archive:Agricultural products

Data for crops for August 2010, most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.

Graph 1: Indices of the agricultural production of crops, EU-27 (2000 = 100)

Table 1: Agricultural production of crops, 2009 (1 000 tonnes)

Graph 2: Production of cereals (including rice), EU-27, 2009 (%)

Graph 3: Breakdown of production of vegetables, EU-27, 2009 (% of total, based on tonnes)

Graph 4: Breakdown of production of fruit, EU-27, 2009 (% of total, based on tonnes)

Graph 5: Utilization of milk, EU-27, 2008 (%)

Table 2: Agricultural production related to animals, 2009 (1 000 tonnes)

Collecting data on agricultural products is important for understanding developments in markets across the European Union (EU) and Member States, both for the current period (estimated production levels for the current year) and to analyze historical trends (to help distinguish between cycles and changing production patterns, for example). They make it possible to analyze the response of markets to policy actions and to test policy scenarios. Agricultural product data, because they provide information on the supply side, are important for understanding corresponding price developments (which are of particular interest to agricultural commodity traders and policy analysts), but they can also illustrate the consequences of policy decisions taken on agriculture.

More detailed analyses of crop production and livestock at regional level are also available.

Main statistical findings

Crops

In 2009 the EU produced 295.8 million tonnes of cereals (including rice), of which a little under half (46.9 %) was wheat, around one-fifth (20.9 %) was barley and a further one fifth (19.5 %) was grain maize. France and Germany were by far the largest cereal, sugar beet and oilseed producers, together accounting for 40.4 % of EU cereal production in 2009, 52.9 % of its sugar beet production and 44.6 % of the oilseed production. Cereal production in the EU fluctuated between 2000 and 2009 (see Graph 1), with a 6 % decrease between 2008 and 2009. However, sugar beet and oilseed production increased considerably through 2009 (by 16.5 % and 6.3 % respectively), while potatoe production was fairly stable (1.3 % increase) during this period.

Despite the vagaries of the weather, cereal production for the EU-27 was relatively stable between 2000 and 2007, albeit with a notably higher harvest in 2004. The production of cereals rose again sharply in 2008, to attain a level that was close to that recorded in 2004. In 2009, cereal production fell by 6 % compared to the previous year; nevetheless it was 6.4 % higher than in 2000. There was a strong rise (48.8 %) in the production of oilseeds between 2000 and 2009, which could be contrasted with a relatively steady decline in the production of potatoes (down by almost 25 % between 2000 and 2009).

In the EU, the most important vegetables in terms of production were tomatoes, onions and carrots, while the most important fruits were apples, oranges and peaches (see Graphs 3 and 4 respectively). In 2009, Italy and Spain had the largest vegetable and fruit production. Italy produced around 11.6 million tonnes of vegetables, while Spain produced approximately 9.9 million tonnes. These two Member States jointly produced 19.9 million tonnes of dessert fruit. Indeed, Italy and Spain together produced more than 56 % of the EU-27 fruit.

The bulk of fruit and fresh vegetable production was concentrated in a few Member States. 56.9 % of the EU-27 apple production in 2009 was located in Poland, Italy and France, whilst more than 83 % of oranges were produced in Spain and Italy. About two thirds of tomatoes were produced in Italy and Spain in 2009, whilst 43.6 % of the onions were produced in the Netherlands and Spain.

Meat and milk

Table 2 summarizes agricultural production related to animals across the EU. The principal meat product in the EU is pig meat ((22.6 million tonnes for the EU-27 in 2008), significantly more than other types of meat, such as beef/veal ((8.1 million tonnes). A little over one-fifth (22.6 %) of EU pig meat production came from Germany, the next highest contributions coming from Spain (15.4 %) and France (10.1 %): the 7.6 % share for Denmark is also notable. A little under one-fifth (18.8 %) of beef/veal in the EU was produced in France in 2008, with further significant production coming from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland.

Dairy production has a diverse structure among Member States, both as a result of varying farm and dairy herd sizes as well as yields. However, since 1984, milk production has been controlled through a system of milk quotas that effectively puts a limit on the amount produced. Germany and France have by far the largest quotas, and the 27.5 million tonnes of milk collected in Germany in 2008 was double the third highest level collected in the United Kingdom. Graph 4 shows that one third (33.2 %) of the milk collected in the EU in 2008 was converted into cheese, with butter accounting for the next highest proportion (24.9 %). In 2008, only one-tenth (9.9 %) of the milk collected was used as drinking milk.

Data sources and availability

Annual statistics on the production of 200 specific crops are mostly covered by Council regulations, although the data for fresh fruit and vegetables are collected under various informal agreements with Member States.

Crop production figures relate to harvested production. Agricultural production of crops is harvested production (excluding losses to the harvest). The harvested production includes marketed quantities, as well as quantities consumed directly on the farm, losses and waste on the holding, and losses during transport, storage and packaging.

Statistics on milk, eggs and meat products are also compiled according to Community legislation. Milk production covers farm production of milk from cows, sheep, goats and buffaloes. A distinction is made between milk collected by dairies and milk production on the farm. Milk collection is only a part of the total use of milk production on the farm, the remainder generally includes domestic consumption, direct sale and cattle feed. Dairy cows are female bovines that have calved (including any aged less than two years). They are cows kept exclusively or principally for the production of milk for human consumption and/or dairy produce, including cows for slaughter (fattened or not) between last lactation and slaughter.

Meat production is based on the carcass weight of meat fit for human consumption. The concept of carcass weight varies according to the animal under consideration. For pigs (the species Sus), it is the weight of the slaughtered pig’s cold body, either whole or divided in half along the mid-line, after being bled and eviscerated and after removal of the tongue, bristles, hooves, genitalia, flare fat, kidneys and diaphragm. Regarding cattle (the species Bos taurus), it is the weight of the slaughtered animal’s cold body after being skinned, bled and eviscerated, and after removal of the external genitalia, the limbs, the head, the tail, the kidneys and kidney fats, and the udder. For sheep and goats, the carcass weight is the slaughtered animal’s cold body after having been bled, skinned and eviscerated, and after removal of the head, feet, tail and genital organs; kidneys and kidney fats are included. For poultry (defined as hens, chicken, ducks, turkey, guinea fowl and geese), the weight is the cold body of slaughtered farmyard poultry after being bled, plucked and eviscerated; the value includes poultry offal, with the exception of foie gras. For all other animal species, the carcass weight is considered to be the weight of the animal’s cold body.

Context

In October 2007 the Council adopted legislation to establish a single Common market organization (CMO) for agricultural products. This is designed to reduce the volume of legislation in the farming sector, improve legislative transparency, and make agricultural policy more easily accessible. During the course of 2008, the single CMO has replaced 21 CMOs for a variety of different products such as bananas, eggs, sugar or wine.

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Main tables

Agriculture, see:

Agricultural products (t_apro)

Crops products (t_apro_cp)

Poultry farming (t_apro_ec)

Milk and milk products (t_apro_mk)

Animal production (t_apro_mt)

Database

Agriculture, see:

Agricultural products (apro)

Crops products (apro_cp)

Poultry farming (apro_ec)

Milk and milk products (apro_mk)

Animal production (apro_mt)

Dedicated section

Agriculture

Methodology/Metadata

Crops products [ESMS metadata file - apro_cp_esms]
Poultry farming [ESMS metadata file - apro_ec_esms]
Milk and milk products [ESMS metadata file - apro_mk_esms)
Livestocks [ESMS metadata file - apro_mt_ls_esms]
Meat production [ESMS metadata file - apro_mt_p_esms]

Other information

Crop statistics are governed by Regulation 837/90 on the statistical information to be supplied by the Member States on cereals production, Regulation 959/93 on statistical information on crop products other than cereals and Regulation 543/2009 concerning crop statistics
milk statistics are governed by Directive 96/16/EC and Directive 2003/107/EC
for porcine, bovine, ovine and caprine species, the rules for producing statistics are stipulated in Directives 93/23/EEC, 93/24/EEC and 93/25/EEC and in Commission decisions 2004/760/EC, 2004/761/EC and 2004/747/EC

Source data for tables, figures and maps on this page (MS Excel)

Agricultural products - tables, figures and maps, 2010