Cattle Fair-2011Eurostat has published a report revealing this evolution between the years 2003 and 2013.

One in four farms in the European Union (EU) in 2003 has disappeared ten years later, despite the fact that the amount of land devoted to agriculture has remained stable, according to figures published by the Community Statistical Office, Eurostat.

Despite this marked decrease - equivalent to a 27,5 % respect to 2003- reduced total farms to 10,8 million farms in the Twenty-eight, the amount of land worked remained practically stable, with a slight increase in 0,1 %, until arriving at 174,6 million hectares.

“This means that the concentration of agriculture has increased, with an increase in the average surface area of ​​each farm in the 38 %, passing 11,7 hectares in 2003 to 16,1 hectares in 2013 ″, indicated Eurostat, which indicated that the trend was recorded in all countries except Cyprus. In the case of Spain, the decline in the aforementioned decade was less, of the 15,4 %, what he left in 965.000 the number of farms, i.e., a 8,9 % of the total of the European Union.

The amount of land used for agricultural purposes also fell from 2003 to 2013 in a 7,4 %, until staying in 23,3 million hectares. This did not prevent Spain from going in 2013 in second country in the European Union in amount of agricultural land, with a 13,4 % of the EU total, only behind France that accumulated the 15,9 % of the total.

The data also shows the aging of farmers and ranchers. Of the 10,8 million farms in the EU, almost 3,5 million (a 31,1 % ) were in the hands of people over 65 and others 2,6 million (24,7 %) were among the 55 and 64 years. On the other hand, minors of 35 years represented only the 6 % of all farm managers.

In the particular Spanish case, the 33,3 % of farmers have more than 65 years, the 25,2 % are among the 55 and the 64 years, other 25 % between the 45 and the 54 years, to descend to 12,7 % in the case of those among the 35 and the 44 and only one 3,7 % to those under 35.

This means that a third of the farmers have more than 65 years, situation that is repeated in Croatia and that is accentuated in Lithuania (34 %), Bulgaria (36,7 %), Italy (39,7 %), Cyprus (40 %) and Romania (41 %), until reaching Portugal, where half of these are over that age.

In the case of the youngest, those under 35 years, in no country do they account for more than 10 % of all farmers, except for Poland (12,1 %) and Austria (10,9 %).