At a time when many farmers are venting their anger, a timely spotlight is shining on their financial situation. In a document entitled “Transformations in agriculture and food consumption”, published Tuesday February 27, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) and Agreste, statistical service of the Ministry of Agriculture, jointly pointed out the strong inequalities in income and living standards within agricultural households.
Taking the year 2020 as a reference, they estimate that the median annual income of agricultural households reaches 22,800 euros, or 1,900 euros net per month. To establish it, they add the profit from the agricultural activity itself but also the salary of the spouse who often has a job off the farm and the rents, an inflow of money linked to the rental of lands. Agreste notes that, most often, agricultural activity only contributes a minority to total financial resources.
This median amount hardly differs from that of the French population, estimated at 22,400 euros. Where the agricultural sector stands out is at the broader end of the income spectrum. INSEE and Agreste emphasize that the poorest 10% of agricultural households receive less than 10,900 euros per year, or less than the poorest 10% of French households. Conversely, the richest 10% earn more than 44,600 euros per year, more than the same segment of the population. In addition, 16% of agricultural households fall into the monetary poverty category, compared to 14% of French households.
Agreste and INSEE also examined the variations in the situation depending on the type of production, always with the year 2020 as a reference. Here again, a large disparity emerges. Unsurprisingly, the poverty rate is higher for market gardeners (24.9%), sheep and goat breeders (23.6%) or beef cattle breeders (21.5%). Conversely, the poverty rate is much lower among the ranks of wine growers (11.5%), in major crops, such as cereals, beets and potatoes (12.2%) or breeders pigs and poultry (13.5%).
Increased specialization
Even within the same sector, income gaps are wide. Production sectors are also subject to variability over the years. The gross operating surplus of farms, that is to say their capacity to generate positive results, varies greatly for cereal production and pig farming, but always remains higher than that of cattle breeding. stable at the bottom of the table.
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