agriculture

A 12.6% increase compared to last year, EU agri-food exports reached €13.07 billion for July 2019, another monthly record. Imports also increased to €9.92 billion, resulting in a 40% rise of the positive trade balance compared to July 2018, reaching €3.15 billion. These are among the main findings of the monthly trade report published today by the European Commission.

It’s a warm afternoon in late spring and before us rows of strawberry plants rustle in the breeze as the scent of fragrant herbs wafts across the air. Nearby, a bee buzzes lazily past. Contrary to appearances, however, we are not in an idyllic corner of the countryside but standing on the top of a six-storey building in the heart of the French capital.

Between 2016 and 2017, poverty rates in rural areas continued to decrease, reaching 24% in 2017. During the same period, the share of organic farming area in the EU rose to 7%. These are among the key findings of the latest update of the common agricultural policy (CAP) indicators, which contribute to the assessment of the CAP’s performance.

Since the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform of 2013, the administrative costs linked to the CAP did not substantially increase for farmers, representing 2% of the total aid received. As for costs for national authorities, they are estimated at around 3% of the CAP budget, having increased by a third since the implementation of a new system to control and manage payments in 2013. Those are among the main findings of the study ‘Analysis of administrative burden arising from the CAP’, published today by the European Commission.

The European Commission released its market brief on fertiliserstoday. Focussing on the economic and environmental impact of fertilisers, the brief found that their use in the EU has stabilised in recent years. However, the adoption of precision farming technologies offers potential for more efficient usage.

Agriculture, forestry and other rural sectors are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The common agricultural policy (CAP) has therefore a key role to play in promoting climate mitigation and supporting these sectors to adapt to climate change.

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) launched today a €1 billion loans package targeting specifically young farmers. In 2017, 27% of the loan applications submitted to banks by EU young farmers were rejected, compared to only 9% for other farms.

The €1 billion package announced today by Commissioner for agriculture Phil Hogan and EIB Vice-President Andrew McDowell, aims at increasing access to funding for EU farmers, especially young farmers.

R&D company Octinion from Leuven (Belgium) presents its fully autonomous strawberry picking robot during trade fair Fruit Logistica in Berlin. After 5 years of development, it is the first company in the world to market this piece of innovation. The launch is crucial for the sector.