Agriculture in 2018 New increase in production, wine experiencing a sharp upswing

In 2018, agricultural production increased by 5.7% in terms of value, surpassing the levels achieved prior to the sharp fall of 2016. Crop production saw a significant upswing thanks to the combined increase of wine production (+28.7%) and cereals and potatoes prices. On the other hand, the value of animal production faltered in the wake of a fall in pork price.

Meanwhile, having fallen for the last four years, the costs borne by farmers bounced back (+2.1%), largely as a result of rising energy costs. Nevertheless, since those costs increased at a slower rate than production, the added value of the agricultural industry increased significantly. Besides, agricultural labour continued to decline. Overall, the gross added value at factor cost per worker increased by 7.0% in 2018 in real terms, compared with +11.6% in 2017. The external balance of agricultural products recovered thanks to cereals sales.