Economic Accounts for Agriculture

The major reason for the development of agricultural income in 2011 was the strong rise of the value of the agricultural industry’s output (+13.5%), which was due to a plentiful harvest and higher prices in animal production. The value of total crop output was 18.7% higher than in 2010, due to the notable increase in volume. The value of animal output is estimated to have risen by 10.4%, which was mainly the result of the higher prices, but also of a slight growth of output volume.

On the other hand, production costs were also considerably higher in 2011. The value of intermediate consumption is estimated to have risen by 10.9% compared to 2010, mainly as a result of strongly increased prices for fertilisers, fuels and animal feeding stuffs. Fixed capital consumption was 3.2% higher than in 2010.

The value of overall subsidies (product-specific subsidies and other subsidies on production) declined by 1.4%.

Methodology

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture are drawn up in accordance with the currently applicable methodology for the Economic Accounts for Agriculture in the European Union Regulation (EC) No. 138/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

The EAA delivery programme to Eurostat includes the compilation of two estimates. The EAA results presented here are the second estimate for 2011 and are based on the database available at the beginning of February 2012. As for the estimates for the preceding years the provisional character of the calculations must be considered, since for the majority of the basic statistics required for the calculation final yearly data are not available; furthermore, some data are still missing at this time. In particular the preliminary figures for intermediate consumption are fraught with uncertainty.

Semi-definitive EAA data for 2011 will be available in July 2012; definitive data in July 2013. As the latest available data is being continually incorporated into the calculation system, already completed reporting years are still subject to revisions.

Regional Accounts for Agriculture (RAA) at NUTS 2 level - Results for the Länder (federal provinces)

About three quarters of the output value of the agricultural industry in Austria are due to the federal provinces of Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria. In 2010, Lower Austria produced 32%, Upper Austria 23% and Styria 20% of the Austrian total. Burgenland and Carinthia accounted for a share of 6% each, followed by Tyrol with a share of 5% and Salzburg with a 4% share. Vorarlberg and Vienna each contributed for about 2%.

The RAA also highlight the obvious disparities in the agricultural production programme that exist between the federal provinces. In Burgenland, Lower Austria and Vienna crop output accounts for more than half of the overall agricultural output value, whereas crop production is particularly prominent in Vienna and Burgenland. Animal production dominates in the other federal provinces. The significance of non-agricultural secondary activities also varies between the regions, with the highest shares recorded in Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg and Carinthia.

Due to the different production programmes, local factors like weather and different starting situations in the regions as a result of the developments in previous years, changes in the output value of the agricultural industry usually vary across the federal provinces. While in 2009 in all federal provinces decreases were observed, in 2010 in seven federal provinces increases related to the output value of the agricultural industry occurred. The strongest increases were recorded for Lower Austria (+11.6%), Styria (+9.3%) and Burgenland (+9.0%). In Vorarlberg (-2.0%) and Carinthia (-1.7%) the output value of the agricultural industry fell below the level reached in 2009.

Gross value added at basic prices was higher than in the previous year in all federal provinces, except Vorarlberg (-8.1%) and Salzburg (-5.5%). The highest growth rates were observed for Lower Austria (+19.5%) and Styria (+17.4%).

Methodology

In addition to the Economic Accounts for Agriculture (EAA) for Austria, the Regional Accounts for Agriculture provide indicators relating to the economic situation in agriculture at the level of the Länder (federal provinces). They highlight disparities between the federal provinces, and provide data on the contribution made by the individual federal provinces to the total output value and value added of domestic agriculture.

Data of the RAA for a reference year (n) are published in October of the year n+1. The current data for the federal provinces for 2010 are provisional. They are consistent with the EAA revision status as of July 2011. For the first time the RAA calculations are based on the revised classification of economic activities NACE Rev. 2. Time series according to the new NACE-classification are available for the reference period 1995-2010.

Unlike the national EAA, the regional data is not updated several times a year, which means that deviations may occur compared with the current EEA results at the national level.