Farmers made hay in 2020 but brace themselves for grim 2021
Covid, the weather and the pig market were kind to farmers in 2020, with income increasing 6.7% compared with 2019. But this year is looking much bleaker.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
The average income last year was CHF79,200 ($85,500) per farm, CHF5,000 more than the year before, Agroscope, the Swiss federal body for agriculture research, said on TuesdayExternal link. Given that there are an average of 1.35 family workers per farm, this means a full-time wage of CHF58,600.
One reason for this increase was the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to higher demand for local products, especially direct from the farm. The weather was also favourable to agriculture in 2020: vegetables, fruit, rapeseed and cereals had better harvests than in the previous year. Another positive effect on farmers’ wallets was that the pig market continued to recover.
More
More
Cooped-up Swiss consume record number of eggs
This content was published on
The average Swiss went through 189 eggs last year, the highest amount this century. Covid-19 certainly played a role, but there were other factors.
Agroscope said these positive developments compensated for the negative ones: yields in viticulture and sugar beet declined and less wine was sold owing to the pandemic.
Nothing but bad news
Those who work in agriculture would do well to set aside some of this windfall, because 2021 is likely to be a disappointment.
The Federal Statistical Office expects a gross value added of CHF4.1 billion in Swiss agriculture, a decline of 6.6% compared with last year. This is because total production is declining while costs are rising.
While production and income in livestock farming increased this year, there has been almost nothing but bad news in crop cultivation. The cold spring, frost after the start of vegetation, hail, a rainy summer with sodden soils and little sun put a heavy strain on crop production. Compared with 2020, the production value of crop cultivation will decrease by 9% to an estimated CHF3.8 billion.
Stone fruits, especially apricots and plums, had one of the weakest harvests in the past two decades. The hay harvest was difficult. The cereal harvest was delayed and mixed, causing the production value of cereals to fall by 13%. The production value of potatoes is down by 15% and that of sugar beet by 14%.
More
More
Swiss farmers enticed by poultry as dairy share declines
This content was published on
The trend of fewer but larger farms continues in Switzerland with the biggest growth in the poultry sector, according to latest statistics.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Pandemic points the way to sustainable agriculture
This content was published on
This involves a combination of natural, artificial and high-tech approaches, according to leading agriculture and consumer experts.
This content was published on
Sales of meat substitutes in Switzerland hit CHF117 million last year, with plant-based burgers being particularly popular.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.