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Press release

Trend of the agricultural economy

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The data presented in this Report are part of the National Accounts for Agriculture and provide a general overview of the sector’s activity in 2018. The first part presents the economic results of the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors and general information on the progress of the agri-food sector, which includes the food industry. In the second part the performance of agricultural companies in the strict sense is complemented by the economic results of agricultural cooperatives producing wine and olive oil. The results of this “enlarged” agricultural sector are shown in the Account Satellite of Agriculture, drawn up according to a pattern shared by all the EU countries28 in order to produce a homogeneous basis for international comparisons.

After a strongly unfavorable 2017 (-3.9% value added in volume), the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors registered a slight recovery in 2018: by volume, production increased by 0.6% and value added 0.9%. Agriculture in the strict sense recorded an increase of 0.6% in the volume of production and 0.8% of value added. Positive signs emerged for forestry, with a significant increase in both production (+ 1.5%) and value added (+ 1.7%). The result of the fishing sector was less favorable, and production grew by 0.5% while value added remained substantially stable (+ 0.1%).

The expansion of the value added for food, beverage and tobacco industries was robust, with an increase of 2.7% in volume and 2.9% expressed in current prices. The agri-food sector complex, which includes agriculture, forestry and fishing together with the food industry, had thus marked a growth in value added by 1.8% in volume and 1.3% at current prices. The sector generated 3.9% of the value added for the entire economy, a sum of 2.1% of the primary sector and 1.8% of the food industry.

In 2018, employment in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, measured in Labor Units (AWUs), increased by 0.7% compared to the previous year, a total of 2.5% growth in the component of the employment and a decrease of 0.2% of the self-employment. Thanks to the positive trend of the food industry (+ 1.2%), the labor input of the agri-food sector recorded an increase of 0.8%.

Income from employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing increased by 4.2%; in particular, gross wages rose by 4.0%. Gross fixed investments in the sector recorded a significant increase (+ 4.1% in current values and + 2.5% in volume).

For information

Alessandra Agostinelli
Ph. +39 06 4673 3130
agostine@istat.it

Domenico Ciaccia
Ph. +39 06 4673 3138
ciaccia@istat.it

Reference period: Year 2018

Date of Issue: 14 May 2019

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