AGRICULTURAL INCOME IN 2009

In France, as in EU-27, 2009 was a bad year for agriculture. It is marked by a sharp drop in prices of both livestock and plant. In total, France, the value of agricultural production down 8.5%, its volume being broadly stable. Expenses of farmers decreased slightly, rising fertilizer prices offset lower prices of other inputs and the sharp decline in volumes consumed. Consequently, agricultural factor income per labour unit falls sharply: -19% in real terms in 2009, after already 12% in 2008. The entrepreneurial income per unpaid annual work unit falls again from 34% in real terms in 2009 (23% in 2008). The surplus of foreign trade in food products fell sharply (-38%) to 5.8 billion euros in 2009.