Press Releases

The Statistical Service announces the detailed results of the Census of Agriculture 2020.

Holdings and Agricultural Area

The total number of holdings enumerated during the Census 2020 was 34.046, recording a decrease of 12,4% compared to the previous Census of 2010.

The total agricultural area reported in 2020 was 1.462.879 decares, recording an increase of 6,2% compared to 2010. Of this area, 1.341.359 decares were utilised agricultural area (an increase of 13,3% compared to 2010), 83.391 decares were abandoned or uncultivated land (decrease of 43,7%), 32.754 decares were land occupied by buildings such as warehouses, stables and other facilities, as well as yards or roads within the holding (decrease of 11,1%) and the remaining 5.375 decares were woodlands (decrease of 38,0%).

The average utilised agricultural area per holding in 2020 was estimated at 39 decares, recording an increase of 29,3% compared to 2010.

The distribution of the utilised agricultural area among the various administrative districts and the percentage change in relation to the Census of 2010 is presented in Table 1 and refers to the place in which the land is located. Based on the results of the Census of Agriculture 2020, the communities with the largest utilised agricultural area were Athienou (29.516 decares), Aradippou (26.799 decares), Palaiometocho (21.220 decares), Avgorou (20.446 decares), Xylofagou (17.524 decares), Xylotymvou (16.963 decares), Meniko (15.705 decares) and Peristerona Lefkosias (15.656 decares).

Holders or Managers of the Holdings

The 97,5% of agricultural and livestock holdings belong to natural persons (individual or shared ownership), 0,2% to public or government entities and the remaining 2,3% are operated as companies, associations or in another form. Compared to the Census 2010, there was a decrease in the share of holdings owned by natural persons (98,8% in 2010) and an increase in the share of companies (1,0% in 2010), while the share of public or government entities remained stable at 0,2%.

The Census 2020 showed that 51,7% of the holders or managers of the holdings had agriculture and/or livestock farming as their main or sole occupation, while 48,3% were mainly employed in other sectors of economic activity (compared to 48,9% and 51,1% respectively in 2010).

Males account for 78,8% of all holders or managers of holdings compared to 73,6% in 2010. The share of female holders or managers decreased to 21,2% in 2020 from 26,4% in 2010.

The average age of holders or managers of holdings remained stable at 63 years, as in the Census 2010. Based on their age distribution, 2,5% of holdings were owned or managed by persons under the age of 35, 21,1 % by persons between 35 and 54 years old, 59,3% by persons aged 55 to 74 years and 17,1% by persons aged 75 years and more. The most important changes observed in the age structure of the holders was the increase in the proportion of holders or managers under 25 years old and over 65 years old, while the intermediate ages showed a decrease in their percentage distribution compared to 2010.

The majority of holders or managers of agricultural and livestock holdings (68,5%) had practical experience only, 30,4% had only basic training and a mere 1,1% had full agricultural training. The corresponding percentages in the Census 2010 were 94,3%, 5,3% and 0,4%.

Land Tenure and Land Use

An increase was recorded in the share of rented area to the total utilised agricultural area (from 51,5% in 2010 to 57,4% in 2020), while a decrease was observed in the share of owned area (from 46,0% in 2010 to 41,6% in 2020). Common land or land of other status decreased from 2,0% in 2010 to 0,7% in 2020, while the jointly owned area remained stable at 0,3%.

In relation to land use, a rise of 20,5% was observed in the areas of temporary crops outdoor, of 9,8% in the areas in greenhouses under glass or high accessible cover and of 5,5% in permanent grassland, while a fall of 6,0% was recorded in the areas of permanent crops outdoor, compared to the Census 2010.

Of the temporary crops outdoor, plants harvested green and intended mainly for animal feed or grazing occupy 38,7% of the total utilised agricultural area, with the largest areas cultivated in Athienou (24.809 decares) and Aradippou (23.158 decares). The different types of cereals for the production of grain follow with a share of 20,8%, with the largest areas being sown in Palaiometocho (11.256 decares) and Meniko (9.084 decares).

Significant changes were recorded in the areas of temporary crops outdoor, especially industrial crops, plants harvested green and fallow land, which increased by 73,6%, 57,8% and 48,9% respectively compared to 2010. Crops of fresh vegetables, melons and strawberries, as well as flowers and ornamental plants, decreased in area by 20,5% and 16,9% respectively compared to 2010.

Of the permanent crops outdoor, olive plantations hold the largest share of the area (9,0%), with most trees located in Lythrodontas (area of 4.457 decares) and in Pano Lefkara (area of 1.859 decares). They are followed by vineyards with 4,9% of the total utilised agricultural area, with the largest plantations found in Pano Panagia of Pafos (3.174 decares) and in Omodos (2.926 decares).

A noteworthy increase of 30,7% compared to 2010 was registered in the cultivated area of nurseries, while a decrease was recorded in nuts (29,6%), in vineyards (13,4%) and in citrus fruits (9,0%).

The largest areas of permanent grasslands were recorded in the district of Pafos, with Lapithiou at 1.118 decares and Kelokedara at 973 decares.

The largest areas of crops in greenhouses under glass or high accessible cover were recorded in Maroni (526 decares) and in Sotira Ammochostou (525 decares).

Irrigation

The total irrigable area recorded in 2020 was 381.250 decares, registering a decrease of 6,5% compared to 407.941 decares in 2010. The total area reported as irrigated decreased by 7,6% to 266.076 decares, from 287.806 decares in 2010.

Of the outdoor area, potatoes, vegetables, melons and strawberries, flowers and ornamental plants and citrus fruits constituted the main crop categories with more than 99,0% of their area being irrigated. Of the temporary crops outdoor, industrial plants follow with an irrigated area of 88,3% and dry pulses for the production of grain with 46,5%.

Among permanent crops outdoor, mainly pome and stone fruit trees are irrigated with 96,7%, olive trees with 69,5% and nuts with 26,3% of their area being irrigated. Only 15,5% of the area with vineyards was irrigated, while the rest of the crops are dependent mainly on rainwater.

Areas in greenhouses under glass or high accessible cover and kitchen gardens are considered to be fully irrigable and irrigated and are therefore excluded from the total irrigable and irrigated areas.

Livestock

The main characteristics and the structure of holdings that directly owned or managed animals are reported with reference to the 31^st December 2020.

The total number of holdings with cattle was 311, recording an increase of 12,3% compared to 277 reported in 2010. The cattle population numbered 83.561 heads, of which 28,1% (23.498 heads) were under one year old, 16,8% (14.033 heads) were aged 1 to 2 years old and 55,1% (46.030 heads) were 2 years old or older. The majority of cattle (66,4%) were placed in free stalls with solid and slurry manure management, 4,5% were in tied stalls with manure management, 10,2% were usually outdoors and the remaining 18,8% had other types of housing.

Only 156 holdings declared pigs, recording a significant decrease of 75,3% compared to the 631 holdings recorded in 2010. Nevertheless, the number of pigs remained at the same levels with 323.522 heads, of which 10,4% of the total were breeding sows (33.612 heads), 36,8% were piglets with live weight under 20 kg (119.203 heads) and 52,8% were various other pigs (170.707 heads). Most pigs (97,8%) were housed in stables with fully or partially slatted floors, while the rest were housed in stables with solid floors or deep litter or other types.

The total number of holdings with sheep reached 1.509 compared to 1.391 holdings in 2010, recording an increase of 8,5%. The total number of sheep recorded reached 327.882 heads. Of these, 71,8% (235.411 heads) were breeding females and 28,2% (92.471 heads) were other sheep.

A decrease of 20,3% compared to 2010 was observed in the holdings managing goats (from 1.990 in 2010 to 1.587 in 2020). The total number of animals recorded was 232.831, with the majority (72,4%) being breeding females (168.518 heads) and the remaining (27,6%) being other goats (64.313 heads).

The total number of holdings raising broilers declined by 54,2% (from 2.569 holdings in 2010 to 1.176 in 2020). There was also a decrease in the number of holdings raising laying hens, by 14,8% (from 7.268 holdings in 2010 to 6.192 in 2020). Of all laying hens, 68,4% were housed in cages, 13,6% in deep litter stables, 11,4% were free range and the remaining 6,6% in aviary and other types of housing. Of the cage housing, the majority (90,8%) were with manure belts.

Organic Crops and Animal Production

The total number of agricultural and livestock holdings recorded, where organic farming and breeding methods and practices are either applied and certified or are under conversion to be certified, has tripled and reached 1.250 farms in 2020 from 364 in 2010.

The total utilized agricultural area under organic production methods in 2020 increased by 173,4%, from 19.987 decares in 2010 to 54.650 decares in 2020. In terms of organic animal production, in 2020, cattle numbered 578, sheep and goats 5.091 and poultry 35.873 heads (compared to 4.221 sheep and goats and 1.094 poultry in 2010).

Employment

Based on the results of the Census 2020, the total volume of work in agricultural and livestock holdings in 2020 reached 4.685.641 working days, which is equivalent to 19.125 full time working persons, thus registering a fall of 9,5% compared to 2010. The employment of the holders and family members employed on the holding decreased by 20,1% and of seasonal workers by 40,4%, while the working days of permanent employees increased by 34,6% compared to 2010.

Of the total number of employed persons on the holdings (105.187 persons), 66,0% were males (Table 2). Compared to 2010, the number of males employed on the holdings increased by 1,6%, whereas the number of females decreased by 18,6%.

Methodological Information

Objective

The Census of Agriculture aims to collect information to examine trends in the structure of agricultural and livestock holdings in order to provide the EU with the necessary information for designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other related policies. The information relates to the structure and types of agricultural and livestock holdings and the characteristics of their holders, to farm fragmentation, land tenure and use, cultivated areas, number of animals by breed and age, animal housing, manure application and storage techniques as well as rural development measures. Also, information is collected on the characteristics of the holders (age, gender, legal status, agricultural training, main occupation, etc.), the labour force of the holdings, including other gainful activities as well as production methods, environmental aspects, etc.

Coverage

The enumerating unit is the agricultural or livestock or mixed holding, which is defined as a single unit, both technically and economically, that has a single management and that undertakes economic activities in agriculture

The Census 2020 covered every agricultural or livestock holding in the Republic of Cyprus that has:

• At least two (2) decares of utilised agricultural area or at least one hundred square meters (100m²) of greenhouse or at least one (1) decare vineyards or at least one hundred square meters (100m²) mushrooms regardless from the title deeds (type of tenure) and the location or,
• Owns animals and in particular one (1) or more cows or a total of two (2) or more bovine animals, of any kind and age, or a total of five (5) or more "small" animals (sheep, goats, pigs), of any age and gender, or fifty (50) or more poultry (chickens, hens, turkeys, ducks, geese) or five (5) or more ostriches or twenty (20) or more beehives or ten (10) or more breeding rabbit females.

Data Collection

The Census is conducted every 10 years and every 3 years as a sample survey. The data collection for the 2020 Census took place during the period September 2020 - May 2021 under Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 and the relevant EU guidelines. The data collection started with personal interviews and the filling in of paper questionnaires, as planned, but due to the pandemic, the collection method was changed for the period November 2020 – February 2021 to telephone interviews.

Reference Period

The reference period for land characteristics refers to areas used in the period of 1st September 2019 - 31st August 2020. The reference day for variables on livestock is 31st December 2020. The reference period for variables on labour force is the 12-month period of 1st September 2019 – 31st August 2020.

Definitions

Holder: Is the natural person, group of natural persons or legal person on whose account and in whose name the holding is operated and who is legally and economically responsible for the holding. It is clarified that the concept of the holder of the holding should not be confused with that of the owner of the land or the animals of the holding. The holder may be the owner of the holding or the tenant or hereditary long-term tenant or manager of a third party's property.

Utilised agricultural area: Includes the agricultural area cultivated or exploited by the holding, regardless of type of tenure (owned, rented, etc.) and covered by temporary crops, permanent crops, greenhouses, kitchen gardens, permanent pastures and grazings and fallow land up to 5 years. It also includes rough grazings that had been used by animals of the farm during the reference period.

Temporary crops: Includes areas worked (ploughed or tilled) regularly, generally under a system of crop rotation, which means that the crops are alternated on a certain plot in a planned pattern or sequence in successive crop years so that crops of the same species are not grown without interruption on the same field. In other words, these are crops that are changed annually. Temporary crops consist of cereal for the production of grain, dry pulses for the production of grain, root crops, industrial crops, fresh vegetables, melons and strawberries, flowers and ornamental plants, plants harvested green, seeds and seedlings, fallow land and other annual crops.

Permanent crops: They are woody plants, i.e., trees or shrubs, not grown in rotation, occupying the soil and yielding harvests for several consecutive years. The products of various species of trees or shrubs are usually intended for human consumption. Permanent crops consist of olive plantations, pome fruits, stone fruits, fruits of subtropical and tropical climate zones, nuts, berries, carobs, citrus, vineyards, nurseries and other permanent crops.

Greenhouses under glass or high accessible cover: Areas of crops, which for the whole of their period of growth or for the predominant part of it are covered by greenhouses or fixed high cover or mobile high cover or mobile high cover (glass or rigid or flexible plastic).

Permanent grassland: Areas used permanently (for several consecutive years, normally 5 years or more) to grow herbaceous fodder, forage or energy purpose crops, through cultivation (sown) or naturally (selfseeded), and which is not included in the crop rotation on the holding.

Kitchen gardens: Small plots of land that are usually located near the home of the holder, normally separate from the rest of the agricultural land, and their production is intended for self-consumption by the holders and their household and not for sale.

Irrigable area: Is the maximum utilised agricultural area which could be irrigated in the reference period using the equipment and the quantity of water normally available on the agricultural holding, regardless of whether it was irrigated or not. Areas in greenhouses or under high accessible cover and kitchen gardens are excluded.

Irrigated area: Is the total of the areas that were actually irrigated, at least once, during the reference period. Areas in greenhouses or under high accessible cover and kitchen gardens are excluded.

Labour force: The set of natural persons who, during a growing season, were involved in any way in the operations (management, technical or manual work) of the holding that are required for each part of production, as well as for the general needs or the management of production from a marketing point of view.

Permanent employees: Persons who worked on the holding regularly, all weeks during the 12-month reference period, regardless of the length of the working week, and received remuneration (salary, earnings or payments in kind) from the holding. Permanent employees are also the persons who worked regularly for part of this 12-month period and were unable to work for the entire period either because the type of crops require fewer working months, or because of illness, military service, accident or death, or because there was a termination of employment in the holding in the 12-month period, or due to a definitive cessation of the holding's operations due to disasters, e.g., floods, fire etc.

Seasonal workers: Persons who did not work on the farm regularly, during all the weeks of the 12-month reference period, but only for a short period of time, or for short periods of time, because they are hired only for particular type of work, such as harvesting of grapes or gathering of potatoes, tobacco, etc.

For more information:

CYSTAT Portal, subtheme Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing

Predefined Tables (Excel)

Methodological Information

Infographics

Contact:

Loukia Alexandrou: Tel: 22605124, E-mail: lalexandrou@cystat.mof.gov.cy

(NG/ECHR)