PostedMay 18, 2022, 6:07 AM
Areas cultivated with cereals increased last year, to the detriment of potatoes and sugar beets.
In 2021, the areas cultivating cereals increased by 3% compared to 2020. Those occupied by potatoes (-2%) and sugar beets (-8%) fell, indicates, this Tuesday, the Office of Statistics (FSO). The useful agricultural area in Switzerland amounted to a total of 1,042,100 hectares (ha) in 2021. It was mainly composed of natural meadows and pastures (58%). Arable land occupied 38% and, among other cultivated land (4%), vines extended over 13,500 ha and fruit crops over 6,900 ha.
In detail, wheat (+5%), oats (+7%) and spelled (+12%) experienced the strongest growth in cereals. On the other hand, grain corn is down slightly (–2%) after two years of growth. Due to the drop in demand for potatoes for fries, the potato surfaces have been reduced, specifies the FSO.
Organic up, farms down
Soybean cultivation shows a 10% increase in surface area compared to 2020, particularly in organic cultivation, due to new feeding guidelines. It should be noted that hemp, a niche crop, after a regular increase in recent years, was in very sharp decline (–31%) in 2021. The organic agricultural area continued its upward curve for 17% of the useful agricultural area . More and more farms practice organic production, underlines the FSO. The progression of organic has been particularly clear in the vineyard, which has seen its share labeled organic double in four years.
In 2021, Switzerland had 48,864 farms, a decrease of 1% compared to 2020. While farms between 10 and 20 ha were down (–2.8%), those over 30 ha ( +1.3%) were more numerous; 150,200 people worked on farms (2020: 149,500).
Success of intensive cattle farming
The number of dairy cows stabilized last year, after six consecutive years of decline. At the same time, Swiss farmers’ interest in extensive beef farming, particularly mother cows, continued unabated in 2021 (+2.8%). The number of organic milk producers remained almost unchanged in 2021, confirming a trend observed since 2018.
As for the breeding of sheep (+1.6%) and goats (+3%), it was mainly located in small structures whose herds did not exceed 20 animals. More than a quarter of the sheep and goats were reared on organic farms.
The number of pigs bred was up by 1.3% in 2021, whereas it has been declining since 2015. Organic remains limited in this area and constitutes only 2.7% of the total. Poultry breeding maintained its growth (+1.1%). In detail, the number of laying hens remained stable; 20% of these numbers were raised under an organic label. As for the number of broiler chickens, it increased by 1.3%, reflecting the boom in the consumption of poultry from indigenous sources.
(Comm/jba)