Agriculture; labour force by region

This table contains data at regional level on the number of persons employed on agricultural holdings, the corresponding annual work units (AWUS) and the number of holdings with workers. The figures in this table are derived from the agricultural census. Data collection for the agricultural census is part of a combined data collection for a.o. agricultural policy use and enforcement of the manure law. Regional breakdown is based on the main location of the holding. Due to this region where activities (crops, animals) are allocated may differ from the location where these activities actually occur. The agricultural census is also used as the basis for the European Farm Structure Survey (FSS). Data from the agricultural census do not fully coincide with the FSS. In the FSS years (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2010) additional information was collected to meet the requirements of the FSS. Data on labour force refer to the period April to March of the year preceding the agricultural census. From 2018 onwards the number of calves for fattening, pigs for fattening, chicken and turkey are adjusted in the case of temporary breaks in the production cycle (e.g. sanitary cleaning). The agricultural census is a structural survey, in which adjustment for temporary breaks in the production cycle is a.o. relevant for the calculation of the economic size of the holding, and its farm type. In the livestock surveys the number of animals on the reference day is relevant, therefore no adjustment for temporary breaks in the production cycle are made. This means that the number of animals in the tables of the agricultural census may differ from those in the livestock tables (see ‘links to relevant tables and relevant articles’). From 2017 onwards, animal numbers are increasingly derived from I & R registers (Identification and Registration of animals), instead of by means of the combined data collection. The I & R registers are the responsibility of RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency). Since 2017, cattle numbers are derived from I & R cattle, and from 2018 sheep, goats and poultry are also derived from the relevant I & R registers. The registration of cattle, sheep and goats takes place directly at RVO. Poultry data is collected via the designated database Poultry Information System Poultry (KIP) from Avined. Avined is a branch organisation for the egg and poultry meat sectors. Avined passes the data on the central database of RVO. Due to the transition to the use of I & R registers, a change in classification will occur for sheep and goats from 2018 onwards. Since 2016, information of the Dutch Business Register is used to define the agricultural census. Registration in the Business Register with an agricultural standard industrial classification code, related to NACE/ISIC, (in Dutch SBI: ‘Default business classification’) is leading to determine whether there is an agricultural holding. This aligns the agricultural census as closely as possible to the statistical regulations of Eurostat and the (Dutch) implementation of the definition of ‘active farmer’ as described in the common agricultural policy. The definition of the agricultural census based on information from the Dutch Business Register primarily affects the number of holdings, a clear deviation of the trend occurs. The impact on areas (except for other land and rough grazing) and the number of animals (except for sheep, and horses and ponies) is limited. This is mainly due to the holdings that are excluded as a result of the new Delimitation of agricultural holdings (such as equestrian centres, city farms and organisations in nature management). In 2011 there were changes in geographic assignment of holdings with a foreign main seat. This may influence regional figures, mainly in border regions. Until 2010 the economic size of agricultural holdings was expressed in Dutch size units (in Dutch NGE: ‘Dutch Size Unit’. From 2010 onwards this has become Standard Output (SO). This means that the threshold for holding in the agricultural census has changed from 3 NGE to EUR 3000 SO. For similar time series the figures for 2000 up to and including 2009 have been recalculated, based on SO coefficients and SO typology. The latest update was in 2016. Data available from: 2000 Status of the figures: the figures are now definite. Changes as of February 24, 2022: the definite figures for 2021 have been added. When will new figures be published? According to to regular planning provisional figures for the current year are published in November and the definite figures will follow in March of the following year.