Economic accounts for Belgian agriculture 2025
The first estimates of farmers’ income for the year 2025 made by Statbel[1], the Belgian statistical office, have been submitted to the European Commission (Eurostat).
In 2025, the value of Belgian agricultural production at basic prices is expected to remain broadly stable compared to 2024 (+0.7%). However, it should be noted that there were contrasting trends between crop production (-4.5%) and animal production (+4.6%). If agricultural products increase in value, intermediate consumption also increases. With a 1.2% increase in costs, the net value added of agriculture at basic prices is expected to fall by 0.6%.
Field crops
In 2025, the value of cereal production is expected to increase by 9.7% compared to 2024. This change is due to an increase in production (+33.3%), the economic benefits of which are partly limited by falling prices (-17.7%). Indeed, like Belgian production, European production is estimated to increase compared to 2024, putting pressure on prices.
The production value of industrial crops is expected to decrease by 13.5% in 2025. Sugar beet would be particularly affected, with production value falling by 22.5%. As for production, despite a decrease in the area sown, it is expected to grow by 11.4%. Thanks to early sowing and a sunny summer, yields are very good in terms of tonnage and sugar content. However, producers' remuneration is expected to fall sharply this season (-30.5%) due to lower contractual basic prices and a sugar market under pressure from rising global production.
Finally, still regarding field crops, the potato sector is also expected to suffer a sharp decline. The value of potato production (including seedlings) is expected to fall by 21.0% under the weight of a free market at its lowest point. The price effect is limited to -32.2% thanks to contractual prices, which partially offset the decline observed on the markets. The volume effect, on the other hand, is positive at +16.4%. Production is expected to increase due to the combined effect of an increase in acreage (+7.2%) and yields (+8.6%).
Horticulture
The horticultural sector is expected to decrease in 2025. The production value of fresh vegetables is expected to decrease by 16.1% compared to 2024, in a context of falling producer prices and broadly stable production.
Conversely, the value of fruit production is expected to increase by 10.2% in 2025. This spring's weather conditions have been favourable for pollination and growth in our orchards, and estimates are optimistic. Belgium is expected to remain a leading player in European pear production. Apple and cherry production is also expected to increase significantly. The volume effect is estimated at 32.8%, while prices are expected to decline. Given the start of the apple and pear market season, the price effect is estimated at -17.0%.
Animals
The value of animal production is expected to increase by 1.6% in 2025.
The cattle industry is benefiting from higher prices (+30.3% for carcass prices). The structural decline in cattle numbers, coupled with health problems and lower slaughter volumes in other Member States, are all factors pushing producer prices to higher levels than in the past. Thanks to this revaluation, the value of cattle production is expected to increase by 19.4% despite a decline in production volumes.
In contrast, the pig sector has seen prices decline over the months. Europe suffers from a lack of export competitiveness in this sector, and the customs duties imposed by China since September are not going to improve the situation. The decrease in prices is estimated at around 15.0%, while production is expected to remain stable for the whole year.
Animal products
The value of animal product production is expected to increase by 9.4% in 2025. The dairy sector is expected to see a 6.4% increase in the value of its production. Milk production is expected to decline slightly (-4.2%), but this decline will be offset by an increase in producer prices (+11.1%).
Finally, the egg sector would enjoy strong growth, with production value increasing by 27.9%. This estimated increase is mainly linked to higher producer prices (+36.9%), in a context of sustained demand and supply constrained by environmental and health standards.
[1] In cooperation with regional authorities and experts.
Economic accounts for agriculture (current prices): values at basic prices (millions of euros)
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 provisional | 2025/2024 (%) | Average 2020-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cereals (including seeds) | 490,1 | 680,8 | 823,8 | 581,6 | 416,6 | 456,8 | 9,7% | 598,6 |
| 2. Industrial crops | 230,6 | 228,4 | 303,1 | 363,7 | 286,8 | 248,1 | -13,5% | 282,5 |
| Sugar beet | 132,3 | 120,8 | 191,8 | 245,9 | 157,4 | 121,9 | -22,5% | 169,6 |
| 3. Forage plants | 718,4 | 1.003,0 | 867,1 | 726,6 | 839,6 | 948,4 | 13,0% | 830,9 |
| 4. Vegetables and horticultural products | 1.564,2 | 1.788,2 | 1.629,1 | 1.788,9 | 1.894,4 | 1.681,0 | -11,3% | 1.733,0 |
| Fresh vegetables | 985,1 | 1.124,9 | 1.047,9 | 1.225,2 | 1.344,4 | 1.128,5 | -16,1% | 1.145,5 |
| Plants and flowers | 579,1 | 663,2 | 581,3 | 563,7 | 550,0 | 552,5 | 0,5% | 587,5 |
| 5. Potatoes (including seeds) | 489,7 | 652,8 | 752,2 | 977,7 | 900,7 | 711,4 | -21,0% | 754,6 |
| 6. Fruits | 526,1 | 553,8 | 532,6 | 694,0 | 648,9 | 714,9 | 10,2% | 591,1 |
| 7. Other crop products | 27,9 | 27,9 | 26,7 | 28,9 | 30,1 | 31,6 | 5,1% | 28,3 |
| 8. Crop output (1 to 7) | 4.047,0 | 4.934,7 | 4.934,7 | 5.161,5 | 5.017,1 | 4.792,2 | -4,5% | 4.819,0 |
| 9. Animals | 3.189,5 | 3.087,9 | 3.763,4 | 3.991,1 | 3.900,1 | 3.961,6 | 1,6% | 3.586,4 |
| Cattle | 1.055,8 | 1.124,2 | 1.306,7 | 1.245,3 | 1.252,8 | 1.495,4 | 19,4% | 1.197,0 |
| Pigs | 1.470,3 | 1.294,2 | 1.644,5 | 2.032,8 | 1.884,7 | 1.605,1 | -14,8% | 1.665,3 |
| Poultry | 640,9 | 642,3 | 785,8 | 686,7 | 743,4 | 843,3 | 13,4% | 699,8 |
| 10. Animal products | 1.521,8 | 1.753,9 | 2.679,7 | 2.319,4 | 2.491,7 | 2.726,1 | 9,4% | 2.153,3 |
| Milk | 1.396,3 | 1.620,9 | 2.436,9 | 1.979,2 | 2.142,4 | 2.280,5 | 6,4% | 1.915,1 |
| Eggs | 124,3 | 131,9 | 238,5 | 334,6 | 345,0 | 441,2 | 27,9% | 234,9 |
| 11. Animal output (9+10) | 4.711,3 | 4.841,8 | 6.443,1 | 6.310,5 | 6.391,8 | 6.687,7 | 4,6% | 5.739,7 |
| 12. Agricultural goods output (8+11) | 8.758,3 | 9.776,5 | 11.377,8 | 11.472,0 | 11.408,9 | 11.479,9 | 0,6% | 10.558,7 |
| 13. Secondary services and activities | 235,9 | 285,3 | 316,3 | 324,6 | 337,0 | 343,0 | 1,8% | 299,8 |
| 14. Output of the agricultural industry (12+13) | 8.994,2 | 10.061,7 | 11.694,1 | 11.796,6 | 11.745,9 | 11.822,9 | 0,7% | 10.858,5 |
| 15. Intermediate consumption | 6.585,7 | 7.621,3 | 8.856,6 | 8.069,2 | 7.809,0 | 7.905,2 | 1,2% | 7.788,4 |
| 16. Fixed capital consumption | 822,5 | 878,6 | 912,4 | 808,2 | 833,2 | 833,2 | 0,0% | 851,0 |
| 17. Net value added at basic prices (14-15-16) | 1.586,1 | 1.561,8 | 1.925,2 | 2.919,2 | 3.103,7 | 3.084,5 | -0,6% | 2.219,2 |
| 18. Compensation of employees | 690,8 | 747,0 | 845,6 | 876,1 | 899,6 | 923,9 | 2,7% | 811,8 |
| 19. Other taxes on production | 2,9 | 3,7 | 2,2 | 7,4 | 7,4 | 7,4 | 0,0% | 4,7 |
| 20. Other subsidies on production | 630,4 | 622,5 | 644,0 | 618,2 | 639,5 | 607,6 | -5,0% | 630,9 |
| 21. Factor income (17-19+20) | 2.213,6 | 2.180,6 | 2.566,9 | 3.529,9 | 3.735,8 | 3.684,7 | -1,4% | 2.845,4 |
Purpose and brief description
The Economic Accounts for Agriculture (EAA) provide a systematic and comparable overview of the economic activity in the agricultural sector. They include the net value added (production account, i.e. the remuneration of all factors of production), the net operating surplus (generation of income account, i.e. yield from land, capital and non-salaried labour) and the net entrepreneurial income (entrepreneurial income account, i.e. compensation of non-salaried labour, remuneration from land belonging to units and the yield arising from the use of capital). The net value added is calculated at producer prices (i.e. without taking subsidies and taxes on products into account), on the one hand, and at factor cost or at basic prices (taking these subsidies and taxes into account), on the other hand. They are compiled for all agricultural economic units in the country, belonging to the agricultural sector. In concrete terms, this sector includes all the agricultural enterprises questioned in the agricultural surveys in May and which correspond to the definition of agricultural enterprise used in that census.
The EAA are annual and are closed in September of the year following the reference year. All sources with statistical data about agriculture, both internal and external to Statbel, are used to compile these accounts.