The MEP The Republicans is telling the truth, according to the last agricultural census published at the end of 2021.
Article written by
Published
Reading time : 2 min.
As the Agricultural Show continues this week, François-Xavier Bellamy deplores the declining number of farms in France. On franceinfo, the MEP Les Républicains even put forward a precise figure: “We have already lost 100,000 farms in 10 years in France.”
>> Agricultural show: when robots and sensors facilitate the work of professionals in the sector
Fewer farms but almost as much area
It’s true: we have gone from almost 500,000 farms in 2010 to just under 400,000 today according to the latest agricultural census, published at the end of 2021. Francois-Xavier Bellamy is therefore right: there are fewer farms than before, except that this does not mean that France is producing less because the useful agricultural area has remained almost stable, down by barely 1% nationwide.
In other words: there are fewer farms, but the ones that remain are getting bigger and often buying up neighbors’ land. On average, a farm now covers 69 hectares, 14 more than 10 years ago and almost 30 hectares more than in the early 2000s.
An aging population
If there are fewer farms and farmers, it is because the profession is aging more and more and the renewal of generations is difficult for this profession or there is a great difficulty. Today, more than half of farms are run by an operator who is 55 or older. And among those who have passed the age of 60, a majority have not found, or have not sought, a buyer. Conversely, the number of young people remains relatively low and stable with only 20% of farmers under 40 years old.