Farmers’ income and debt, 2013

Agricultural holdings vary considerably in size, from hobby-like production to holdings with a turnover of more than NOK 1 million. This is the main reason for the considerable variation in entrepreneurial income from agriculture and debt. In 2013, farmers had a total debt of NOK 73.9 billion. This corresponds to an average of NOK 1.8 million per farmer; an increase of 7 per cent from the previous year. Agricultural holdings are classified by type of farming. The debt ranged from NOK 1.1 million for farmers with specialist sheep up to NOK 4.7 million on average for farmers with specialist pigs/poultry. In total, 19 per cent of the farmers had less than NOK 100 000 in debt, while nearly 12 per cent had more than NOK 4 million in debt. Total interest paid in 2013 amounted to NOK 2.9 billion, with an average of NOK 70 000 per farmer.

Increasing gross income

In 2013, farmers’ average gross income was NOK 569 000. The gross income was made up of NOK 288 000 from wages and pensions, NOK 235 000 from total entrepreneurial income and NOK 46 000 from capital income. Entrepreneurial income from agriculture for all 41 200 farmers averaged NOK 165 000, constituting 29 per cent of their gross income in 2013. About 29 000 farmers with a positive entrepreneurial agricultural income had an average of NOK 235 000. Farmers with specialist cattle dairying had the lowest gross income, with NOK 504 000. For farmers with mixed cropping, gross income amounted to NOK 705 000.

Different income development by type of farming

Farmers with mixed livestock and mixed crops-livestock as types of farming had a decrease in income from agriculture, by NOK 19 000 and NOK 10 000 respectively from 2012 to 2013. For farmers with cattle rearing and fattening, cattle mixed production and mixed cropping as types of farming, the agricultural income increased by NOK 14 000 to NOK 25 000. Other types of farming had minor changes in agricultural income.