Provisional estimates of farm income for 2013 – Drop in the prices of field crops and eggs

After the soaring prices seen in 2012, agricultural year 2013 was marked by a sharp drop in the prices of cereals, oilseeds, protein crops and potatoes, as well as that of eggs. Volumes were globally stable, dropping significantly for rapeseed and durum wheat but rising sharply for eggs. All in all, the value of farm production including subsidies fell by 3.7% against 2012. In parallel, farmers’ costs rose once again, mainly due to the sharp rise in animal feed prices and the increase in quantities of fertilizers used. After a rise for three years, the income of the agriculture branch would appear to have slipped back overall. Additionally, farm employment seems to have fallen. According to the estimates in the provisional agriculture account, net farm income (or net value added at factor costs) per worker appears to have fallen by 16% in real terms in 2013, after three years of growth. This change is the result of major disparities according to farm type.