Agriculture and food sector in Lithuania 2014 = Lietuvos žemės ir maisto ūkis 2014

2015-07-15
Agriculture and food sector in Lithuania 2014 = Lietuvos žemės ir maisto ūkis 2014
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In 2014, as compared to 2013, the value of gross agricultural output (at constant prices) dropped by 5.6% (provisional data). The decline was driven by decrease in purchase prices of good global harvest of cereal and vegetables and by the increased supply due to the Russian embargo on import from the EU. In the last year purchase prices of agricultural went down by %. products 7.5 %.

In 2014 the export of agricultural and food products totalled EUR 4.7 billion (by 0.7% less than in 2013), while the import amounted to EUR 3.7 million (by 0.6% less). Starting 2004 (when Lithuania joined the EU) the balance of foreign trade in agricultural and food products was positive. But in 2014, as compared to 2013, it dropped by EUR 11 million and totalled EUR 963 billion.

Aiming to increase the competitiveness of agriculture, to support farmers’ income, to reduce social disjuncture between rural and urban population, to save the environment, the economic entities are supported from the EU and national budgets. In 2014 the funds for agriculture made up EUR 875.1 million.

In 2010-2014 the number of agricultural entities by category was changing unevenly. In 2014, as compared to 2010, the number of registered family farms went up by 2.4% and, as compared to 2013, increased by 0.4%. The average farm size of agricultural entities that declared UAA in 2014 was 19.9 ha, or by 7.6% larger than in 2013 and by 27.6% more than in 2010.

In 2014 the certified organic area in Lithuania occupied 168 thousand hectares, or was by 12.5% larger than in 2010. The average size of a certified farm (including fishery farms) increased from 66.7 ha (in 2013) to 68.3 ha (in 2014).

The composition of the total land area by its intended purpose was almost stable. The largest share occupied agricultural land (53.1%) and forests (34.0%).

Changes in rural employment structure should be considered as the most important event of recent years in Lithuania’s rural life. In 2010, 29.3% of rural working population were employed in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, but lately, when the economic situation has improved, the share of population employed in agriculture has went down while the share of population involved in services has augmented. In 2014, 28.8% of the employed rural population were involved in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

In 2014, as compared to 2013, the number of SMEs in rural areas increased by 11.7% and reached 12.1 thousand (nearly 80% of which made up micro-enterprises). Rural SMEs employed 108.3 thousand or almost a third of the total rural working population.

One of the main challenges for the future 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.

Quoting requires reference to the source and website address.

Lietuvos žemės ir maisto ūkis 2014= Agriculture and food sector in Lithuania 2014. Autorių kolektyvas: R. Melnikienė - vadovė… [et. al.]. - V.: Lietuvos agrarinės ekonomikos institutas, 2015. - 187 p.; iliustr., lent., reziumė (angl.). (online) ISSN 2029-4980, ISSN 1822-5101.