The European Union (EU) economic accounts showed a 2.8% decline in agricultural output to €405.0 billion at basic prices in 2016, compared to 2015. According to Eurostat, “In 2016, the equivalent of 59% of the value of agricultural output generated was spent on intermediate consumption (input goods and services), while gross value added (i.e. the value of output minus the value of intermediate consumption) was the equivalent of 41% (or €165.7 billion).”
France produced the largest agricultural output across member states with a total of €70.3 billion, or 17% of the EU total. Both Italy and Germany produced 13% of the total, to €53.4 billion and €52.9billion respectively. Spain produced €46.8 billion, or 12%, while the following member states produced the following; United Kingdom €27.9 billion (7%), Netherlands €27.0 billion (7%), Poland €22.4 billion (6%) and Romania €15.4 billon (4%). For 2016, the value of agricultural output followed conflicting patterns between the EU Member States. The highest increase documented was in Slovakia (+10.7%), ahead of Poland (+4.6%), Hungary (+4.1%), the Czech Republic (+3.5%) and Croatia (+3.4%). In contrast, the largest fall was registered in Estonia (-19.8%), followed by Latvia (-8.3%), France (-6.5%), Denmark (-5.4%) and Slovenia (-5.2%).
The 2.8% decline in the output was attributed primarily to a 3.3% fall in the value of animal output. The was due to a 4.9% decrease in prices by 4.9%, however this was tempered by a 1.7% increase in volume. According to Eurostat, “this overall decrease in the value of animal output is mainly due to falls by 5.2% for milk and by 3.6% for cattle. The value of crop output decreased in the EU by 2.5% with prices down by 1.8% and volume down by 0.7%. The decrease of 13.5% registered for cereals was partly compensated by increases of 23.5% for potatoes, of 4.5% for forage plants and of 2.7% for industrial crops.”
EU agricultural input costs (intermediate consumption) have decreased by 3.4%. This was partly due to a decline of 8.6% for fertilisers and soil improvement, of 7.8% for energy and lubricants, of 5.1% for maintenance of buildings and of 2.7% for animal feeding stuffs.
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