In 2015 the sector of agriculture, forestry and fisheries accounted for 3.3% of the gross value-added created in the Lithuanian economy, comprised more than 16.6% of the total foreign trade turnover, guaranteed workplaces for nearly one tenth of the employed population.
In 2015 the export of agricultural and food products totalled EUR 4.5 billion (by 3.8% less than in 2014), while the import amounted to EUR 3.6 billion (by 3.7% less).
Since 2004 the balance of foreign trade in agricultural and food products was positive, but in 2015, as compared to 2014, it dropped by EUR 40 million and totalled EUR 899 billion.
Aiming to increase the competitiveness of agriculture, to support farmers’ income, to reduce social exclusion between rural and urban population, to save the environment, the economic entities are supported from the EU and national budgets. In 2015 the funds for agriculture made up EUR 1083.5 million.
In 2011-2015 the number of agricultural entities by category was changing unevenly. In 2015, as compared to 2011, the number of registered farmers’ farms went up by 2.4% and, as compared to 2014, increased by 0.4%. The average farm size of agricultural entities that declared UAA in 2015 was 20.6 ha, or by 3.5% larger than in 2014 and by 26.4% more than in 2011.
In 2014 the certified organic area in Lithuania occupied 220 thousand hectares, or was by 39.4% larger than in 2011. The average size of a certified farm (including fishery farms) increased from 68.3 ha (in 2014) to 82.4 ha (in 2015).
The composition of the total land area by its intended purpose was almost stable.
The largest share occupied agricultural land (52.6%) and forests (33.7%).
Changes in rural employment structure should be considered as the most important event of recent years in Lithuania’s rural life. In 2011, 28.2% of rural working population were employed in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Lately, however, when the economic situation has improved, the share of the population employed in agriculture has went down while the share of the population involved in services has augmented. In 2015, 27.7% of the employed rural population were involved in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
In 2015, as compared to 2014, the number of SMEs in rural areas increased by 5.8% and reached 12.8 thousand (nearly 80% of which made up micro-enterprises).
One of the main future challenges of the development of agriculture and food sector remains the increase of labour productivity, which still lags behind the EU-28 average. Such a need is determined by stiff competition in international markets.
Lietuvos žemės ir maisto ūkis 2015 = Agriculture and food sector in Lithuania 2015. Autorių kolektyvas: R. Melnikienė - vadovė… [et. al.]. - V.: Lietuvos agrarinės ekonomikos institutas, 2016. - 178 p.; iliustr., lent., reziumė (angl.). (online) ISSN 2029-4980, ISSN 1822-5101.
