Agricultural area and livestock (discontinued), 31 July 2011, preliminary figures

The area of open fields and gardens was reduced by 56 000 decares to 3.46 million decares, and the area of meadows for mowing and pastures increased by 13 000 decares to 6.52 million decares from 2010 to 2011.

The decline in the agricultural area is a result of the improvement of the basis for measurement and control of the agricultural area on the holdings. Digital maps were constructed on the basis of aerial photos, leading to a decline in the agricultural areas compared with the old maps. The new maps were adopted in 2006, and it is anticipated that all municipalities will use the maps from 2013. Another important reason for the decline in the agricultural area is that marginal areas are taken out of use.

The total grain area fell by 24 000 decares to a total of 3 million decares in 2011. Barley comprised 50 per cent of the total grain area, while wheat and oats covered 25 and 24 per cent respectively. Holdings cultivating grain had on the average 231 decares of grain area.

Fewer dairy cows

The number of dairy cows fell by 5 000 to a total of 233 500 in 2011, and the number of beef cows increased by 1 800 to 71 600. In 2011, one out of five holdings with dairy cows had at least 30 dairy cows. Ten years earlier, only 4 per cent of the holdings had at least 30 dairy cows. Beef cows made up 23 per cent of the cows in 2011, compared with 15 per cent in 2002.

Organic farming

Organic farmland covered 470 000 decares of agricultural area in use, corresponding to 4.7 per cent of the total agricultural area in 2011.

A total of 31 800 cattle were approved for organic farming in 2011. About 9 000 of these cattle were dairy cows and 4 200 were beef cows.

Tables:

• Table 1 Agricultural area, by use. 1998-2011*. Decares
• Table 2 Domestic animals. 1998-2011*
• Table 3 Agricultural area, by county and use
• Table 4 Cattle, by county . 2011*
• Table 5 Holdings with organic farming and area approved as organically operated. 2002-2011*
• Table 6 Domestic animals by holdings approved for organic farming. 2002-2011*