The factor "labor" plays a key role in agriculture in addition to other production factors such as the capital employed or land from a business management perspective. Labour input in agriculture is gradually decreasing, particularly as a result of technological progress (mechanization) and structural change (smaller farms with higher labour requirements per unit produced). Calculations by the Federal Institute for Agricultural Economics show that labor input in agriculture has decreased in recent years. A systematic survey of working time requirements in Austria was last published in 2006 by the former Federal Institute of Alpine Agriculture in Gumpenstein and the former Federal Institute of Agricultural Engineering in Wieselburg (Standardarbeitszeitbedarf in der österreichischen Landwirtschaft, Ergebnis der Berechnung der einzelbetrieblichen Standardarbeitszeiten: Handler, Stadler u. Blumauer 2006).
Objective
The aim of this project is to revise the standard working hours in Austrian agriculture.To this end, a web-based database is to be set up for the ongoing updating and future use of standard working hours in conjunction with other administrative data sets.In addition to the standard working hours for internal and external economy, the focus will also be on the collection of times for organizational work (working time for operational management).
Status of the project
Status November 2024: The study design, the recording system and the model functions were largely developed by the project participants of the HBLFA Francisco Josephinum Wieselburg and the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein. Based on the recording system, an application (time recording app) was programmed by the BAB, which enables the recording of working hours on the farms. The necessary server resources for storing and managing the working time data of the participating farms were organised and set up. Comprehensive testing of the application's functionality has been completed. In 2024, the application (app) was expanded to include user roles (system administrator, company administrator, user) and the creation of sub-activities. The software was presented, tested and feedback obtained as part of a masterclass.
Work 2025
Due to unforeseeable developments (including staff shortages at the participating institutions, the departure of the persons responsible for the project, the BML's focus on other projects due to the crisis), the project work planned for 2023 could only be partially realised. In consultation with the institutions involved (HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, HBLFA Francisco Jo-sephinum Wieselburg), it became clear that the full and necessary human resources to implement the project would not be available after 2024, even in 2025, due to the ongoing tense personnel situation (including the departure of employees and unanswered questions regarding their replacement at HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein).
On the other hand, there is a fundamental need, not least due to technological progress, to update the standard working hours in agriculture, for example with regard to the orientation of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027, to improve the data basis of various calculations and applications (e.g. online application ‘IDB’ of the BAB etc.) but also as a basis for education and counselling. Therefore, after consultation with the BML as the client, it was agreed that in 2025 the improvements to the software proposed on the basis of the tests to date will be evaluated and, if necessary, the input mask will be adapted. Depending on the available resources, work on the project will continue, the software will be presented to teachers of the master craftsman and skilled worker courses and opportunities will be sought to recruit users for comprehensive recording.
Timetable
Project start: 04/2020
Project end: 12/2026
