New estimates released by the EU Statistical Office Eurostat today reveal EU farm incomes for 2013 are on average down 1.3% on last year’s levelsin real terms, mainly as a result of rising input costs.

Copa-Cogeca Secretary General Pekka Pesonen stressed "The figures on agricultural incomes per worker confirm that farmers are continuing to face a cost-price squeeze with input costs rising at a much faster level than the value of agricultural output  The income situation is fragile".

New results for the third quarter of 2103 from Copa-Cogeca agricultural barometer survey run between September and November 2013 in 10 Member States meanwhile show that farmers were particularly worried about developments in farm prices and adverse weather conditions. And although there was some improvement in input costs, especially feed, many farmers still found high input costs like fuel costs particularly onerous. Optimism in the agricultural sector picked up slightly in some countries in 2013, but confidence remains at a low level, the barometer reveals. Many were concerned about both the present and future financial situation of their businesses.

Copa-Cogeca has run this barometer in collaboration with national organisations since 2010. The confidence indicator is published twice a year on Copa-Cogecas website, based on surveys with farmers in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom (England and Wales).

Mr Pesonen concluded by saying "The results show that if we are to meet upcoming challenges like growing world food demand, it is crucial to ensure that implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform will not add to farmers costs and investment in the sector is increased".