Economic Accounts for Agriculture

With €7.7 bn, the value of the agricultural industry’s output was 3.2% above the previous year’s level. The output value of crop production rose significantly (+7.6%) due to higher output values of several product groups such as cereals, fruits and forage plants. The output value of potatoes, however, recorded a marked decline. The value of overall animal output is estimated to have declined by 0.6%, primarily as a result of significant losses in cattle production and lower pig prices.

The cost of intermediate consumption of goods and services reached €4.5 bn, with an expected rise by 1.6% compared to 2019. Expenses for fixed capital consumption accounted for €1.9 bn (+3.2%).

Based on preliminary calculations, the value of overall subsidies (product-specific subsidies and other subsidies on production) accounted for €1.5 bn in 2020 (+0.3%).

Methodology

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture are drawn up in accordance with the currently applicable methodology for the Economic Accounts for Agriculture in the European Union regulated in Regulation (EC) No. 138/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended.

The EAA delivery programme to Eurostat includes the compilation of two estimates. The EAA results presented here are the second estimate for 2020. They were compiled on the basis of data and information available in January 2021, complemented by extrapolations and estimations with the involvement of experts. Due to turbulences on agricultural procurement and sales markets following the Corona pandemic and as information on the volume of Corona support measures were still incomplete when the second estimate was compiled, the latter are subject to a higher degree of uncertainty.

Semi-definitive EAA data for 2020 will be available in July 2021, final data in July 2022. As the latest available data is being continually incorporated into the calculation system, already completed reporting years are still subject to revisions.

Regional Accounts for Agriculture (REAA) at NUTS 2 level - Results for the Länder (federal provinces) for 2019

About three quarters of the output value of the agricultural industry in Austria are generated in the federal provinces of Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria. In 2019, Lower Austria produced 32%, Upper Austria 24% and Styria 19% of the Austrian total. Burgenland and Carinthia accounted for a share of 6%, Tyrol and Salzburg for a share of 5% each. Vorarlberg and Vienna contributed 2% and 1%, respectively.

The REAA shows the obvious disparities in the agricultural production programme that exist between the federal provinces. In Vienna, Burgenland and Lower Austria crop output accounts for more than half of the overall agricultural output value, whereas animal production dominates in the other federal provinces. Non-agricultural secondary activities play an above average role in Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg.

Due to the different production programmes and further influencing factors such as differing weather conditions, changes in the output value and value added of the agricultural industry usually vary across the federal provinces. In 2019, the value of the agricultural industry’s output increased in six federal provinces (Vienna: +6.1%, Upper Austria +5.2%, Lower Austria: +2.7%, Tyrol: +2.2%, Salzburg: +1.6% and Carinthia: +0.6%). Decreases were recorded in Styria (-1.4%), Vorarlberg (-3.4%) and Burgenland (-6.2%).

Gross value added at basic prices grew in Vienna, Upper Austria and Salzburg, whereas it declined in the other six federal provinces.

Methodology

In addition to the Economic Accounts for Agriculture (EAA) for Austria, the Regional Accounts for Agriculture provide data relating to the economic situation in agriculture at the level of the Länder (federal provinces). They highlight regional disparities, and provide data on the contribution made by the individual federal provinces to the total output value and value added of domestic agriculture.

Data of the REAA for a reference year (n) are published in October of the year n+1. The current data for the federal provinces for 2019 are provisional. They are consistent with the national EAA data published in July 2020.

Unlike the national EAA, the regional data are not updated several times a year, which means that deviations may occur compared with the current EAA results at the national level.