Agricultural Economicshttps://bab.gv.at/index.php2024-03-28T17:54:54+01:00Bundesanstalt für Agrarwirtschaft und Bergbauernfragenwebmaster@bab.gv.atJoomla! - Open Source Content ManagementBAB 075/24: GreeNet2024-02-08T13:09:41+01:002024-02-08T13:09:41+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2309:bab-075-24-greenet&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p>Grassland is valued not only as a source of fodder, but also as a habitat for a variety of plant and animal species and for its aesthetic and cultural value. Nevertheless, ecologically important grassland areas are under threat in many parts of Europe. Conservation measures are required to halt this deterioration. To be effective, these measures must take into account the landscape level.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>The main objective of the project is to identify proven and cost-effective conservation measures and their spatial arrangement that enhance and protect the landscape and ensure the long-term resilience of European grasslands to biophysical degradation and adverse socio-economic developments.<br />GreeNet brings together agronomists, agricultural economists, biologists and landscape ecologists to analyze the interaction of conservation measures between fields, farms and the landscape in several European case studies. The results will feed into the scientific debate on resilient landscapes and support policy planners in developing effective strategies to protect biodiversity in European landscapes while maintaining the provision of diverse ecosystem services to local communities and society as a whole.<br /><br />GreeNet develops, modifies and applies a range of ecological methods (e.g. models, indicator assessments) to identify biodiversity and ecosystem service targets and analyze appropriate conservation actions at both field and landscape scales. The integration of results from bioeconomic farm models, the application of a landscape-level action planning model and the application of scenarios for future global change allow the derivation of optimal strategies to maintain or improve the resilience of landscapes. GreeNet will analyze the agricultural perspective by incorporating surveys of conservation decisions at the farm level. Finally, GreeNet will develop proven conservation incentive schemes and management strategies. This and the upscaling of the results to comparable grassland areas in Europe will allow to inform administration and policy makers about the need for protected landscapes and incentive options across Europe. Therefore, stakeholder involvement in several project steps is crucial.</p>
<h3>Planned work 2024</h3>
<p>Management of the international consortium, management of work package 1, survey of farmers (discrete choice experiment); creation and application of a farm model, co-supervision of the AT case study, development of nature conservation measures in agri-environmental programs, supervision of participatory processes</p>
<p>Timetable</p>
<p>roject start: 01.04.2023<br />Project end: 31.03.2026</p>
<p><br /><br />Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</p><p>Grassland is valued not only as a source of fodder, but also as a habitat for a variety of plant and animal species and for its aesthetic and cultural value. Nevertheless, ecologically important grassland areas are under threat in many parts of Europe. Conservation measures are required to halt this deterioration. To be effective, these measures must take into account the landscape level.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>The main objective of the project is to identify proven and cost-effective conservation measures and their spatial arrangement that enhance and protect the landscape and ensure the long-term resilience of European grasslands to biophysical degradation and adverse socio-economic developments.<br />GreeNet brings together agronomists, agricultural economists, biologists and landscape ecologists to analyze the interaction of conservation measures between fields, farms and the landscape in several European case studies. The results will feed into the scientific debate on resilient landscapes and support policy planners in developing effective strategies to protect biodiversity in European landscapes while maintaining the provision of diverse ecosystem services to local communities and society as a whole.<br /><br />GreeNet develops, modifies and applies a range of ecological methods (e.g. models, indicator assessments) to identify biodiversity and ecosystem service targets and analyze appropriate conservation actions at both field and landscape scales. The integration of results from bioeconomic farm models, the application of a landscape-level action planning model and the application of scenarios for future global change allow the derivation of optimal strategies to maintain or improve the resilience of landscapes. GreeNet will analyze the agricultural perspective by incorporating surveys of conservation decisions at the farm level. Finally, GreeNet will develop proven conservation incentive schemes and management strategies. This and the upscaling of the results to comparable grassland areas in Europe will allow to inform administration and policy makers about the need for protected landscapes and incentive options across Europe. Therefore, stakeholder involvement in several project steps is crucial.</p>
<h3>Planned work 2024</h3>
<p>Management of the international consortium, management of work package 1, survey of farmers (discrete choice experiment); creation and application of a farm model, co-supervision of the AT case study, development of nature conservation measures in agri-environmental programs, supervision of participatory processes</p>
<p>Timetable</p>
<p>roject start: 01.04.2023<br />Project end: 31.03.2026</p>
<p><br /><br />Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</p>BAB 073/24: Data modelling, management and consulting for the GAP Datapool2024-01-04T11:06:34+01:002024-01-04T11:06:34+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2294:bab-073-24-data-modelling-management-and-consulting-for-the-gap-datapool&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p>The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) plays a central role in shaping agricultural policies that affect agriculture, the environment and rural communities. The evaluation of these policies is crucial to understand their effectiveness, sustainability and potential adjustments.<br /><br />The evaluation of CAP 23-27 poses new challenges for the evaluators involved. Increased expectations of the evaluation as well as larger amounts of data require targeted solutions and tools to efficiently solve current problems.<br /><br />The data-related challenges include the integration of heterogeneous data sources from various agriculture-related areas such as environmental data, socio-economic indicators and more. This data is often available in different formats, structures and qualities. In preparation, methods of data integration, cleansing and analysis must be developed in order to ensure the quality, consistency and analytical capability of this data.<br /><br />As part of the Datenpool project, the BAB has accumulated a wide range of knowledge in these areas. This knowledge, which can be summarized under the interdisciplinary term of data science, is now to be used to support the evaluation of the CAP 23-27 measures in their work.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>Creation and design of the architecture of the GAP 23-27 data pool, including conception and use cases of the evaluation and access systems.The aim is to create an efficient and accessible structure that provides the necessary data for the evaluation of CAP measures and at the same time enables easy use and analysis by authorized users.Provide technical expertise and support to Division II/1 and those responsible for CAP measures 23-27 in the area of data modeling and data management.This includes developing and managing an effective data model and implementing best practices for data management to ensure that the CAP data pool contains high quality and reliable data.Provide technical advice and support to CAP intervention managers on sourcing data, seamless transfer of supplier data to relevant interfaces, efficient storage, data processing and smooth delivery to the CAP data pool.<br /><br />Establish methods for data security and integrity, including ways to comprehensively document all stored data under CAP Actions 23-27.</p>
<p>The focus is on creating a solid database that supports evaluation in the best possible way and provides evaluators with relevant, well-documented information.</p>
<h3>Schedule</h3>
<p>Project start: 01/2024<br />Project duration: CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 accompanying long-term project</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><p>The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) plays a central role in shaping agricultural policies that affect agriculture, the environment and rural communities. The evaluation of these policies is crucial to understand their effectiveness, sustainability and potential adjustments.<br /><br />The evaluation of CAP 23-27 poses new challenges for the evaluators involved. Increased expectations of the evaluation as well as larger amounts of data require targeted solutions and tools to efficiently solve current problems.<br /><br />The data-related challenges include the integration of heterogeneous data sources from various agriculture-related areas such as environmental data, socio-economic indicators and more. This data is often available in different formats, structures and qualities. In preparation, methods of data integration, cleansing and analysis must be developed in order to ensure the quality, consistency and analytical capability of this data.<br /><br />As part of the Datenpool project, the BAB has accumulated a wide range of knowledge in these areas. This knowledge, which can be summarized under the interdisciplinary term of data science, is now to be used to support the evaluation of the CAP 23-27 measures in their work.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>Creation and design of the architecture of the GAP 23-27 data pool, including conception and use cases of the evaluation and access systems.The aim is to create an efficient and accessible structure that provides the necessary data for the evaluation of CAP measures and at the same time enables easy use and analysis by authorized users.Provide technical expertise and support to Division II/1 and those responsible for CAP measures 23-27 in the area of data modeling and data management.This includes developing and managing an effective data model and implementing best practices for data management to ensure that the CAP data pool contains high quality and reliable data.Provide technical advice and support to CAP intervention managers on sourcing data, seamless transfer of supplier data to relevant interfaces, efficient storage, data processing and smooth delivery to the CAP data pool.<br /><br />Establish methods for data security and integrity, including ways to comprehensively document all stored data under CAP Actions 23-27.</p>
<p>The focus is on creating a solid database that supports evaluation in the best possible way and provides evaluators with relevant, well-documented information.</p>
<h3>Schedule</h3>
<p>Project start: 01/2024<br />Project duration: CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 accompanying long-term project</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>BAB 065/23: Pure nutrient demand and pure nutrient usage in Austrian agriculture2023-03-08T11:18:05+01:002023-03-08T11:18:05+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2220:bab-065-23-pure-nutrient-demand-and-pure-nutrient-usage-in-austrian-agriculture&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p>Agrarmarkt Austria publishes the sales volumes of the pure nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P2O5) and potash (K2O) on a quarterly basis. LBG Österreich GmbH collects the annual application quantities of pure nutrients from mineral fertilizers from the farms that voluntarily keep records for the Green Report.<br />As part of a short study conducted by the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics in 2016, the pure nutrient requirement of Austrian agriculture was determined on the basis of standardized withdrawal values of plant crops (according to acreage and yield per hectare), taking into account the pure nutrient input from animal husbandry at NUTS II level. The calculation was carried out using the spreadsheet software "EXCEL").<br />The sales quantities according to AMA surveys, the extrapolated application quantities and the nutrient requirements based on the nutrient withdrawals of the plant crops and nutrient supply through farm manure were compared.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>The aim of the project is to adapt the calculations of nutrient requirements to the current data situation (e.g. guideline for proper fertilization in arable farming and grassland - 8th edition, 2022), taking into account the nutrient removal of the plants and the nutrient supply from farm manure, and to review the calculation methods.<br />Based on this, a tool is to be programmed that will allow automated, time-saving evaluations at regular intervals with access to the available databases.In addition, it will be checked whether a determination of the pure nutrient requirement based on INVEKOS data for individual farms is expedient, with the possibility of carrying out evaluations according to regions, farm types, etc.</p>
<h3>Work carried out</h3>
<p>In 2023, the collection of basic data from current publications was carried out retroactively to 2015.Further activities could not be carried out due to a lack of personnel resources, particularly in view of a crisis-related focus on other projects.Work 2024Based on the EXCEL template, the calculation processes and the underlying data will be reviewed and, if necessary, replaced with updated values (e.g. nutrient content of farm fertilizers). In consultation with experts, the possibility of a calculation at individual farm level (basis: IN-VEKOS) is discussed and implemented where possible.</p>
<h3>Work 2024</h3>
<p>Based on the updated EXCEL template, a new evaluation tool with direct access to the BAB database (linking of area and livestock data with yield data, data on nutrient removal and delivery through farm manure, etc.) is to be prepared and programmed.The determination of the quantities of nutrients applied based on data from accounting farms is also to be largely automated.<br />The aforementioned calculations will be carried out retroactively back to 2015. The annual evaluations will also be continued after the end of the project.</p>
<h3>Schedule</h3>
<p>Project start: 01/ 2023<br />Project end: 12/2024</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)</span></p><p>Agrarmarkt Austria publishes the sales volumes of the pure nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P2O5) and potash (K2O) on a quarterly basis. LBG Österreich GmbH collects the annual application quantities of pure nutrients from mineral fertilizers from the farms that voluntarily keep records for the Green Report.<br />As part of a short study conducted by the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics in 2016, the pure nutrient requirement of Austrian agriculture was determined on the basis of standardized withdrawal values of plant crops (according to acreage and yield per hectare), taking into account the pure nutrient input from animal husbandry at NUTS II level. The calculation was carried out using the spreadsheet software "EXCEL").<br />The sales quantities according to AMA surveys, the extrapolated application quantities and the nutrient requirements based on the nutrient withdrawals of the plant crops and nutrient supply through farm manure were compared.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>The aim of the project is to adapt the calculations of nutrient requirements to the current data situation (e.g. guideline for proper fertilization in arable farming and grassland - 8th edition, 2022), taking into account the nutrient removal of the plants and the nutrient supply from farm manure, and to review the calculation methods.<br />Based on this, a tool is to be programmed that will allow automated, time-saving evaluations at regular intervals with access to the available databases.In addition, it will be checked whether a determination of the pure nutrient requirement based on INVEKOS data for individual farms is expedient, with the possibility of carrying out evaluations according to regions, farm types, etc.</p>
<h3>Work carried out</h3>
<p>In 2023, the collection of basic data from current publications was carried out retroactively to 2015.Further activities could not be carried out due to a lack of personnel resources, particularly in view of a crisis-related focus on other projects.Work 2024Based on the EXCEL template, the calculation processes and the underlying data will be reviewed and, if necessary, replaced with updated values (e.g. nutrient content of farm fertilizers). In consultation with experts, the possibility of a calculation at individual farm level (basis: IN-VEKOS) is discussed and implemented where possible.</p>
<h3>Work 2024</h3>
<p>Based on the updated EXCEL template, a new evaluation tool with direct access to the BAB database (linking of area and livestock data with yield data, data on nutrient removal and delivery through farm manure, etc.) is to be prepared and programmed.The determination of the quantities of nutrients applied based on data from accounting farms is also to be largely automated.<br />The aforementioned calculations will be carried out retroactively back to 2015. The annual evaluations will also be continued after the end of the project.</p>
<h3>Schedule</h3>
<p>Project start: 01/ 2023<br />Project end: 12/2024</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)</span></p>BAB 061/22: Relief for agricultural und forestry sector within the framework of national emissions certificate trading2022-03-22T09:30:08+01:002022-03-22T09:30:08+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2151:bab-061-22-relief-for-agricultural-und-forestry-sector-within-the-framework-of-national-emissions-certificate-trading&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p>Within the framework of the eco-social tax reform of 2022, a gradual introduction of a national emission allowance trading system (nEHS) is planned, starting with an introductory phase from 1 July 2022. In connection with the introduction of the nEHS, a relief mechanism will be created to offset the additional costs from the CO2 price for agriculture and forestry. This is to ensure that domestic food production is not disadvantaged in relation to European and international competition. According to §25 (4) of the wording of the law, the Federal Institute of Agriculture and Mining must collect and process data on the actual average consumption of gas oil for different types of farming and make it available to the Federal Minister of Finance by 1 April 2022.</p>
<hr class="system-pagebreak" />
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>Within the framework of the project, the best possible source (individual farm data voluntarily for the Green Report of bookkeeping farms or IDB (IDB contribution margins and calculation data) for determining the average gas oil consumption by type of farming is to be found first. As a result, the gas oil consumption per unit (e.g. hectare) should be made available.</p>
<h3>Status of the project</h3>
<p>First co-ordinations with the responsible departments in the BMLRT concerning the time schedule have been made. An initial review of the possible data sources with regard to their restrictions or limits has been carried out. BLT Wieselburg has carried out initial calculations on gas oil consumption based on accounting data for the years 2018 to 2020.</p>
<h3>Work 2022</h3>
<p>Calculations on average gas oil consumption are made based on both accounting results and data from the interactive contribution margin calculation tool (IDB) of the BAB. The results obtained from these calculations are combined, compared and discussed with experts. The final results derived are processed and made available to the Federal Ministry of Finance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The project was completed in 2022. Within the framework of this project, the gas oil consumption of the Austrian agricultural and forestry sector was determined and a flat-rate model for deriving the consumption of individual farms was developed. The methodology and results are described in a final report, which is available at the following link:</p>
<p><a href="https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2181:abschlussbericht-gasoelverbrauch-der-oesterreichischen-land-und-forstwirtschaft&catid=147&lang=de&Itemid=715">https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2181:abschlussbericht-gasoelverbrauch-der-oesterreichischen-land-und-forstwirtschaft&catid=147&lang=de&Itemid=715</a>.“</p><p>Within the framework of the eco-social tax reform of 2022, a gradual introduction of a national emission allowance trading system (nEHS) is planned, starting with an introductory phase from 1 July 2022. In connection with the introduction of the nEHS, a relief mechanism will be created to offset the additional costs from the CO2 price for agriculture and forestry. This is to ensure that domestic food production is not disadvantaged in relation to European and international competition. According to §25 (4) of the wording of the law, the Federal Institute of Agriculture and Mining must collect and process data on the actual average consumption of gas oil for different types of farming and make it available to the Federal Minister of Finance by 1 April 2022.</p>
<hr class="system-pagebreak" />
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>Within the framework of the project, the best possible source (individual farm data voluntarily for the Green Report of bookkeeping farms or IDB (IDB contribution margins and calculation data) for determining the average gas oil consumption by type of farming is to be found first. As a result, the gas oil consumption per unit (e.g. hectare) should be made available.</p>
<h3>Status of the project</h3>
<p>First co-ordinations with the responsible departments in the BMLRT concerning the time schedule have been made. An initial review of the possible data sources with regard to their restrictions or limits has been carried out. BLT Wieselburg has carried out initial calculations on gas oil consumption based on accounting data for the years 2018 to 2020.</p>
<h3>Work 2022</h3>
<p>Calculations on average gas oil consumption are made based on both accounting results and data from the interactive contribution margin calculation tool (IDB) of the BAB. The results obtained from these calculations are combined, compared and discussed with experts. The final results derived are processed and made available to the Federal Ministry of Finance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The project was completed in 2022. Within the framework of this project, the gas oil consumption of the Austrian agricultural and forestry sector was determined and a flat-rate model for deriving the consumption of individual farms was developed. The methodology and results are described in a final report, which is available at the following link:</p>
<p><a href="https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2181:abschlussbericht-gasoelverbrauch-der-oesterreichischen-land-und-forstwirtschaft&catid=147&lang=de&Itemid=715">https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2181:abschlussbericht-gasoelverbrauch-der-oesterreichischen-land-und-forstwirtschaft&catid=147&lang=de&Itemid=715</a>.“</p>BAB 060/22: Converting Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) into Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN)2022-03-22T09:21:09+01:002022-03-22T09:21:09+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2149:bab-060-22-converting-farm-accountancy-data-network-fadn-into-farm-sustainability-data-network-fsdn&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p>The Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) has been collecting economic data from agricultural holdings for decades. Due to the reorientation of EU agricultural policy with a focus on greater sustainability, the FADN is to be expanded into an information network on agricultural sustainability (FSDN). The European Commission is therefore proposing an amendment to the FADN basic regulation. This should also enable the collection of data to underpin and monitor the objectives of the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy. In the future, in addition to the microeconomic farm data already collected, sustainability data will also be collected to provide information on social and environmental sustainability.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul>
<li>To assess the feasibility of collecting farm-level data for a range of sustainability topics, e.g. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) objectives, Farm to Fork (F2F) and biodiversity strategies, and other sustainability indicators.</li>
<li>Description of a methodological approach for the efficient and effective collection of data at farm level for the above-mentioned topics.</li>
<li>Development of possible strategies to implement a common and harmonized methodology for the collection of sustainability data for all Member States, including a roadmap for the transformation of the current FADN into the FSDN.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Work carried out</h3>
<p>As part of the pilot project "Converting Farm Accountancy Data Network (FAD) into Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN)", the questionnaire sent out by ECORYS (contractor of the EU Commission) for the "Liaison Office" for Austria was answered in 2022 in cooperation with Department II/1 (Otto Hofer) and the LBG (Franz Fensl). On the other hand, in consultation with the LBG, interviews were conducted with 32 pilot farms in accordance with the selection plan submitted by ECORYS.In the second phase (year 2023), questions regarding the IT infrastructure and the current implementation of data collection for FADN in Austria were answered (questionnaire from ECORYS). There was also participation in the final conference at which the most important results were presented. In addition, the BAB is involved in responding to inquiries and is involved in the preparation of statements on the subject of "FSDN".</p>
<h3>Planned work 2024 </h3>
<p>At a FADN Committee Meeting of the EC in October 2023, a follow-up project on the standardized identification of agricultural enterprises and the resulting possible linking of data from different data sources (IFS, FADN, IACS) was approved.<br />In coordination with the BML, the BAB will participate as required in the follow-up project and in answering any questions and drafting statements on the expansion of the FADN to include sustainability data.<br />The duration of the above-mentioned project will therefore be extended until the end of 2025.</p>
<h3>Timetable</h3>
<p>Project start: 01/2022<br />Project end: 03/2025</p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</span></p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><p>The Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) has been collecting economic data from agricultural holdings for decades. Due to the reorientation of EU agricultural policy with a focus on greater sustainability, the FADN is to be expanded into an information network on agricultural sustainability (FSDN). The European Commission is therefore proposing an amendment to the FADN basic regulation. This should also enable the collection of data to underpin and monitor the objectives of the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy. In the future, in addition to the microeconomic farm data already collected, sustainability data will also be collected to provide information on social and environmental sustainability.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul>
<li>To assess the feasibility of collecting farm-level data for a range of sustainability topics, e.g. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) objectives, Farm to Fork (F2F) and biodiversity strategies, and other sustainability indicators.</li>
<li>Description of a methodological approach for the efficient and effective collection of data at farm level for the above-mentioned topics.</li>
<li>Development of possible strategies to implement a common and harmonized methodology for the collection of sustainability data for all Member States, including a roadmap for the transformation of the current FADN into the FSDN.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Work carried out</h3>
<p>As part of the pilot project "Converting Farm Accountancy Data Network (FAD) into Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN)", the questionnaire sent out by ECORYS (contractor of the EU Commission) for the "Liaison Office" for Austria was answered in 2022 in cooperation with Department II/1 (Otto Hofer) and the LBG (Franz Fensl). On the other hand, in consultation with the LBG, interviews were conducted with 32 pilot farms in accordance with the selection plan submitted by ECORYS.In the second phase (year 2023), questions regarding the IT infrastructure and the current implementation of data collection for FADN in Austria were answered (questionnaire from ECORYS). There was also participation in the final conference at which the most important results were presented. In addition, the BAB is involved in responding to inquiries and is involved in the preparation of statements on the subject of "FSDN".</p>
<h3>Planned work 2024 </h3>
<p>At a FADN Committee Meeting of the EC in October 2023, a follow-up project on the standardized identification of agricultural enterprises and the resulting possible linking of data from different data sources (IFS, FADN, IACS) was approved.<br />In coordination with the BML, the BAB will participate as required in the follow-up project and in answering any questions and drafting statements on the expansion of the FADN to include sustainability data.<br />The duration of the above-mentioned project will therefore be extended until the end of 2025.</p>
<h3>Timetable</h3>
<p>Project start: 01/2022<br />Project end: 03/2025</p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</span></p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>BAB 059/22: Regional agricultural value chains2022-03-22T08:57:21+01:002022-03-22T08:57:21+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2147:bab-059-22-regional-agricultural-value-chains&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p><strong>Robust Food Supply Chains in Austria</strong><br /><br />The reliable supply of high-quality food to the Austrian population has become the focus of public debate in recent years, not least due to the large number of crises. As part of the cooperation project "Robust value and supply chains for agricultural goods and food in Austria" (ROBVEK), aspects of quantitative supply as well as the affordability of goods along the value chain were examined in a total of 6 work packages. The Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics focused on work package 1 (WP1) "Price portal - development, implementation and operation of a website to ensure price transparency" and work package 2 (WP2) "Transparency of available quantities of agricultural goods and foodstuffs in Austria".</p>
<p><strong>Objective</strong><br /><br />The central objective of the project was to prepare available information, findings and data relating to security of supply in such a way that decision-makers can obtain a quick overview of fundamental developments in security of supply and, if necessary, take action. The information should be made available to all decision-makers, including farmers. In order to achieve this fundamental goal, the following sub-goals were defined, whereby the first two are primarily assigned to WP 1 and WP 2, which are being worked on by the BAB:</p>
<ul>
<li>Creation of an up-to-date internet presence to ensure price transparency;</li>
<li>Development of a method that uses existing data sources to create transparency regarding the quantities available in Austria and the values along the agricultural goods and food value chain;</li>
<li>Development of a prototype for a dashboard to show the robustness of international supply and value chains relevant to Austria;</li>
<li>Development of a method for forecasting the inflation of food and energy products:</li>
<li>The creation of a basis for decision-making and options for action on security of supply issues.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Project implementation</strong></p>
<p>The project led by WIFO is divided into six work packages, with the BA für Agrarwirtschaft und Bergbauernfragen playing a key role in two work packages. The content and technical support of the project was provided by a project advisory board (client) and a scientific board (external scientists). The project ran from 01.09.2022 to 07.12.2023. The following figure provides an overview of the organization of the project and the institutions involved.</p>
<p><img src="https://bab.gv.at/images/ArtikelBlogNews/2024/robvek.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Project results (BAB relevant)</strong><br /><br /><strong><em>WP 1 Price transparency: Price portal - development, implementation and operation of a website to ensure price transparency</em></strong><br /><br />The price portal offers a collection of current, past and expected future prices of important agricultural and forestry goods as well as selected operating resources. It was developed, implemented, tested and improved with the involvement of users. The price portal is provided and maintained by the BAB and filled with data by the participating organizations (AMA, BAB, LK Niederösterreich, LK Österreich, LK Steiermark, WIFO). Even after the ROBVEK project is completed, the price portal will be maintained and updated with the latest data. It provides a clear information basis for various user groups - including agricultural businesses, advisory services, public administration, research and education. The price portal comprises the database, data transformations, interfaces and online application:</p>
<ul>
<li>The database contains the data from the now-defunct website www.landnutzung.at/preise.html, relevant data from the BAB data pool, relevant data from publicly accessible sources, raw data entered by data suppliers via interfaces, (e.g. technically) processed data and metadata. The database provides information for the user interface.</li>
<li>Raw data is prepared and aggregated, data is validated and data from different sources is combined in the data transformation area.</li>
<li>The interfaces can only be used by the data suppliers at the end of the ROBVEK project. They are used to enter data into the database (via freely definable data pipelines) and to read data from the price database (via web service)</li>
<li>The online application is available to all users at https://preise.agrarforschung.at/. The user interface is divided into the sections Animal products, Plant products, Wood and wood products, Price indices and Farm inputs. The price information is provided in the form of interactive graphics, which can also be saved locally. The data stored in the graphics can be saved and edited locally.</li>
</ul>
<p>{rsfiles path="Publikationen/BAB/BAB_Report/bab_report_008_ap1_preisportal.pdf"}</p>
<p><br /><em><strong>WP 2 Quantity transparency: Transparency of available quantities of agricultural goods and foodstuffs in Austria</strong></em></p>
<p>The aim of WP 2 was to analyse and visualize (Sankey diagrams) the material flows between the actors in the value chain for a selected sector (pork) on the basis of a pilot project, to identify data gaps and to examine the transferability of the form of presentation to other sectors. The starting point for this was the quantitative analysis of material flows. Building on this, considerations were also made regarding the value-based representation of the value chain. Key work steps included database and literature research, the preparation and merging of various data sets in as consistent a form as possible, the closing of data gaps by means of targeted research and expert interviews, the creation of a data set as a basis for the presentation of material flows and the development and implementation of a material flow model as a Sankey representation. The data from the supply balance, the foreign trade database and special evaluations of the Roll-AMA and Gastro-Panel data formed the basic framework for the most continuous and consistent representation of material flows possible. The latter enabled a more differentiated view according to purchasing sources and product groups. The analysis of the data sets also highlighted the need to update factors and estimates for calculating variables in the supply balance (e.g. factors for calculating the proportion of pet food, industrial use). On the other hand, major data gaps were revealed, for example in the area of animal by-products or losses along the value chain. These should be closed as part of further work.</p>
<p>{rsfiles path="Publikationen/BAB/BAB_Report/bab_report_007_ap2_transparenz.pdf"}<br /><br /><strong>All project reports are available on the "DAFNE" research platform: <a href="https://dafne.at/projekte/robvek">https://dafne.at/projekte/robvek</a> <br /></strong></p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</span></p><p><strong>Robust Food Supply Chains in Austria</strong><br /><br />The reliable supply of high-quality food to the Austrian population has become the focus of public debate in recent years, not least due to the large number of crises. As part of the cooperation project "Robust value and supply chains for agricultural goods and food in Austria" (ROBVEK), aspects of quantitative supply as well as the affordability of goods along the value chain were examined in a total of 6 work packages. The Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics focused on work package 1 (WP1) "Price portal - development, implementation and operation of a website to ensure price transparency" and work package 2 (WP2) "Transparency of available quantities of agricultural goods and foodstuffs in Austria".</p>
<p><strong>Objective</strong><br /><br />The central objective of the project was to prepare available information, findings and data relating to security of supply in such a way that decision-makers can obtain a quick overview of fundamental developments in security of supply and, if necessary, take action. The information should be made available to all decision-makers, including farmers. In order to achieve this fundamental goal, the following sub-goals were defined, whereby the first two are primarily assigned to WP 1 and WP 2, which are being worked on by the BAB:</p>
<ul>
<li>Creation of an up-to-date internet presence to ensure price transparency;</li>
<li>Development of a method that uses existing data sources to create transparency regarding the quantities available in Austria and the values along the agricultural goods and food value chain;</li>
<li>Development of a prototype for a dashboard to show the robustness of international supply and value chains relevant to Austria;</li>
<li>Development of a method for forecasting the inflation of food and energy products:</li>
<li>The creation of a basis for decision-making and options for action on security of supply issues.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Project implementation</strong></p>
<p>The project led by WIFO is divided into six work packages, with the BA für Agrarwirtschaft und Bergbauernfragen playing a key role in two work packages. The content and technical support of the project was provided by a project advisory board (client) and a scientific board (external scientists). The project ran from 01.09.2022 to 07.12.2023. The following figure provides an overview of the organization of the project and the institutions involved.</p>
<p><img src="https://bab.gv.at/images/ArtikelBlogNews/2024/robvek.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Project results (BAB relevant)</strong><br /><br /><strong><em>WP 1 Price transparency: Price portal - development, implementation and operation of a website to ensure price transparency</em></strong><br /><br />The price portal offers a collection of current, past and expected future prices of important agricultural and forestry goods as well as selected operating resources. It was developed, implemented, tested and improved with the involvement of users. The price portal is provided and maintained by the BAB and filled with data by the participating organizations (AMA, BAB, LK Niederösterreich, LK Österreich, LK Steiermark, WIFO). Even after the ROBVEK project is completed, the price portal will be maintained and updated with the latest data. It provides a clear information basis for various user groups - including agricultural businesses, advisory services, public administration, research and education. The price portal comprises the database, data transformations, interfaces and online application:</p>
<ul>
<li>The database contains the data from the now-defunct website www.landnutzung.at/preise.html, relevant data from the BAB data pool, relevant data from publicly accessible sources, raw data entered by data suppliers via interfaces, (e.g. technically) processed data and metadata. The database provides information for the user interface.</li>
<li>Raw data is prepared and aggregated, data is validated and data from different sources is combined in the data transformation area.</li>
<li>The interfaces can only be used by the data suppliers at the end of the ROBVEK project. They are used to enter data into the database (via freely definable data pipelines) and to read data from the price database (via web service)</li>
<li>The online application is available to all users at https://preise.agrarforschung.at/. The user interface is divided into the sections Animal products, Plant products, Wood and wood products, Price indices and Farm inputs. The price information is provided in the form of interactive graphics, which can also be saved locally. The data stored in the graphics can be saved and edited locally.</li>
</ul>
<p>{rsfiles path="Publikationen/BAB/BAB_Report/bab_report_008_ap1_preisportal.pdf"}</p>
<p><br /><em><strong>WP 2 Quantity transparency: Transparency of available quantities of agricultural goods and foodstuffs in Austria</strong></em></p>
<p>The aim of WP 2 was to analyse and visualize (Sankey diagrams) the material flows between the actors in the value chain for a selected sector (pork) on the basis of a pilot project, to identify data gaps and to examine the transferability of the form of presentation to other sectors. The starting point for this was the quantitative analysis of material flows. Building on this, considerations were also made regarding the value-based representation of the value chain. Key work steps included database and literature research, the preparation and merging of various data sets in as consistent a form as possible, the closing of data gaps by means of targeted research and expert interviews, the creation of a data set as a basis for the presentation of material flows and the development and implementation of a material flow model as a Sankey representation. The data from the supply balance, the foreign trade database and special evaluations of the Roll-AMA and Gastro-Panel data formed the basic framework for the most continuous and consistent representation of material flows possible. The latter enabled a more differentiated view according to purchasing sources and product groups. The analysis of the data sets also highlighted the need to update factors and estimates for calculating variables in the supply balance (e.g. factors for calculating the proportion of pet food, industrial use). On the other hand, major data gaps were revealed, for example in the area of animal by-products or losses along the value chain. These should be closed as part of further work.</p>
<p>{rsfiles path="Publikationen/BAB/BAB_Report/bab_report_007_ap2_transparenz.pdf"}<br /><br /><strong>All project reports are available on the "DAFNE" research platform: <a href="https://dafne.at/projekte/robvek">https://dafne.at/projekte/robvek</a> <br /></strong></p>
<p><br /><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</span></p>BAB 058/22: Feed Balance2022-03-22T08:45:15+01:002022-03-22T08:45:15+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2145:bab-058-22-feed-balance&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p>With the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, weaknesses in the Austrian and global economic system became apparent. The COVID-19 Lessons learnt research project was therefore initiated with the aim of creating evidence to ensure that the Covid-19 pandemic can be overcome in agriculture and forestry. The COVID-19 Lessons learnt research project consisted of 16 sub-projects, 14 of which have already been completed. The feed balance sub-project is now being continued as an independent BAB research project.<br /><br />Feed is the most important input in Austrian agriculture. In 2019, a total of € 1.5 billion of the € 4.3 billion in intermediate inputs was spent on animal feed. To illustrate the order of magnitude: Energy, the second most important input, was demanded to the tune of €0.4 billion. Around a third of animal feed (calculated in values) is produced by the agricultural sector itself.<br /><br />Statistics on the production and use of animal feed are published annually at federal level in Austria, the feed balance. It is compiled by the HBLFA-Raumberg-Gumpenstein in cooperation with Statistics Austria. Due to technological change, it is necessary to adapt and update the previously used method. One aim of the project is to systematically present the value chains of Austrian agriculture and to show the regional dimension separately where this is objectively justified and possible.<br />As the feed balance is currently only available at federal level, there is a lack of information on the most important input of Austrian agriculture at regional level.In the work package of the COVID 19 - Lessions learnt project "LW - Regional Inputs", which was completed in 2021, the intermediate consumption of agricultural activities is calculated at regional level (NUTS 3).To ensure that the allocation is correct, the feed balance should be available at the same level. This ensures that factor input (labor, land, capital), intermediate consumption (feed and other) and output (agricultural goods and services) are available in the form of consistent methods.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul>
<li>To update the Austrian feed balance method and improve processes.</li>
<li>Development of a regionalization method and a prototype for an example region with heterogeneous livestock farming.</li>
<li>Validation of the results and comparison of top-down and bottom-up.</li>
<li>Documentation of the results and creation of outputs<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Work steps</h3>
<p><em>Adaptation of the existing method to the changed circumstances<br /></em>The feed balance is currently being compiled by Statistics Austria in cooperation with HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein. The method used for this was originally developed at BOKU and is created in an iterative process. The result is presented in concise figures for Austria as a whole. Detailed results for the most important nutrients and all relevant livestock species are made available for research purposes. The aim of work step 1 is to adapt the method to the current state of the art and to improve the organizational processes. </p>
<p><em>2. Development of a prototype of the regionalized feed balance</em><br />In this step, a prototype for a regional feed balance is created. The regional unit is a representative NUTS 3 region. The approach corresponds to the method of the national feed balance, taking into account region-specific characteristics. For this purpose, the results of farms keeping accounts at NUTS 3 level are used. Upscaling: Calculation of the feed balance at regional level and provision of differentiated data</p>
<p><em>3. Upscaling: Calculation of the feed balance at regional level and provision of differentiated data</em><br />At HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, calculations of material and nutrient flows were carried out at farm and small regional level, i.e. at a disaggregated level. Evaluations of these calculations are compared with the results from step 2 in order to validate the method of regionalization using a top-down procedure. From the comparison, conclusions can be drawn about the significance of the results of the two methods.</p>
<p><em>4. Completion of the documentation</em><br />In this step, the outputs specified in the work plan are completed. These include written texts, a data set and presentations.The presentations have two target groups: the team of researchers and the client together with the people involved.</p>
<h3>Planned outputs</h3>
<p>Prototype of the regionalised feed balance incl. documentation</p>
<h3>Work carried out 2021</h3>
<p>No project-specific data, as the data required for regional feed balancing was not transmitted to the BAB by Agrar-Markt Austria due to data protection concerns. Preparatory work for the legal basis for transmitting the data to the BAB (e.g. Ag-rarMarktTransparenz-Verordnung and MarktOrdnungsGesetz).</p>
<h3>Work carried out in 2022 and 2023</h3>
<p>No project-specific, as no time resources were available for the crisis team in the BML due to the Ukraine crisis and the associated work.</p>
<h3>Planned work 2024</h3>
<p>Due to other priority projects (e.g. ROBVEK), work had to be postponed. Depending on the availability of the necessary data, implementation to achieve the project objectives will start in 2024. Due to the scope of the project, the end of the project will be postponed to 2025.</p>
<h3>Timetable</h3>
<p>Project start: 03/2020<br />Project end: 12/2025</p><p>With the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, weaknesses in the Austrian and global economic system became apparent. The COVID-19 Lessons learnt research project was therefore initiated with the aim of creating evidence to ensure that the Covid-19 pandemic can be overcome in agriculture and forestry. The COVID-19 Lessons learnt research project consisted of 16 sub-projects, 14 of which have already been completed. The feed balance sub-project is now being continued as an independent BAB research project.<br /><br />Feed is the most important input in Austrian agriculture. In 2019, a total of € 1.5 billion of the € 4.3 billion in intermediate inputs was spent on animal feed. To illustrate the order of magnitude: Energy, the second most important input, was demanded to the tune of €0.4 billion. Around a third of animal feed (calculated in values) is produced by the agricultural sector itself.<br /><br />Statistics on the production and use of animal feed are published annually at federal level in Austria, the feed balance. It is compiled by the HBLFA-Raumberg-Gumpenstein in cooperation with Statistics Austria. Due to technological change, it is necessary to adapt and update the previously used method. One aim of the project is to systematically present the value chains of Austrian agriculture and to show the regional dimension separately where this is objectively justified and possible.<br />As the feed balance is currently only available at federal level, there is a lack of information on the most important input of Austrian agriculture at regional level.In the work package of the COVID 19 - Lessions learnt project "LW - Regional Inputs", which was completed in 2021, the intermediate consumption of agricultural activities is calculated at regional level (NUTS 3).To ensure that the allocation is correct, the feed balance should be available at the same level. This ensures that factor input (labor, land, capital), intermediate consumption (feed and other) and output (agricultural goods and services) are available in the form of consistent methods.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<ul>
<li>To update the Austrian feed balance method and improve processes.</li>
<li>Development of a regionalization method and a prototype for an example region with heterogeneous livestock farming.</li>
<li>Validation of the results and comparison of top-down and bottom-up.</li>
<li>Documentation of the results and creation of outputs<br /><br /></li>
</ul>
<h3>Work steps</h3>
<p><em>Adaptation of the existing method to the changed circumstances<br /></em>The feed balance is currently being compiled by Statistics Austria in cooperation with HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein. The method used for this was originally developed at BOKU and is created in an iterative process. The result is presented in concise figures for Austria as a whole. Detailed results for the most important nutrients and all relevant livestock species are made available for research purposes. The aim of work step 1 is to adapt the method to the current state of the art and to improve the organizational processes. </p>
<p><em>2. Development of a prototype of the regionalized feed balance</em><br />In this step, a prototype for a regional feed balance is created. The regional unit is a representative NUTS 3 region. The approach corresponds to the method of the national feed balance, taking into account region-specific characteristics. For this purpose, the results of farms keeping accounts at NUTS 3 level are used. Upscaling: Calculation of the feed balance at regional level and provision of differentiated data</p>
<p><em>3. Upscaling: Calculation of the feed balance at regional level and provision of differentiated data</em><br />At HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, calculations of material and nutrient flows were carried out at farm and small regional level, i.e. at a disaggregated level. Evaluations of these calculations are compared with the results from step 2 in order to validate the method of regionalization using a top-down procedure. From the comparison, conclusions can be drawn about the significance of the results of the two methods.</p>
<p><em>4. Completion of the documentation</em><br />In this step, the outputs specified in the work plan are completed. These include written texts, a data set and presentations.The presentations have two target groups: the team of researchers and the client together with the people involved.</p>
<h3>Planned outputs</h3>
<p>Prototype of the regionalised feed balance incl. documentation</p>
<h3>Work carried out 2021</h3>
<p>No project-specific data, as the data required for regional feed balancing was not transmitted to the BAB by Agrar-Markt Austria due to data protection concerns. Preparatory work for the legal basis for transmitting the data to the BAB (e.g. Ag-rarMarktTransparenz-Verordnung and MarktOrdnungsGesetz).</p>
<h3>Work carried out in 2022 and 2023</h3>
<p>No project-specific, as no time resources were available for the crisis team in the BML due to the Ukraine crisis and the associated work.</p>
<h3>Planned work 2024</h3>
<p>Due to other priority projects (e.g. ROBVEK), work had to be postponed. Depending on the availability of the necessary data, implementation to achieve the project objectives will start in 2024. Due to the scope of the project, the end of the project will be postponed to 2025.</p>
<h3>Timetable</h3>
<p>Project start: 03/2020<br />Project end: 12/2025</p>BAB 053/22: Sector analysis hemp2022-03-21T14:22:42+01:002022-03-21T14:22:42+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2135:bab-053-sector-analysis-hemp&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<p>Hemp has been grown as a crop in Austria for centuries, but until now it has had the character of a niche crop. The demand for hemp products has been growing for several years, although the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent sharp rise in prices have slowed this development. The aim of the study was to present the various production, utilization and marketing possibilities of the individual plant parts in Austria in more detail and to look at them from the perspective of various stakeholders. In addition to extensive data research, the main focus of the work was therefore on the results of qualitative interviews with stakeholders along the value chain (production, processing, trade) and public administration. In addition to weather conditions, machinery and the know-how of farmers on the primary production side, the current marketing difficulties due to competition from low-wage countries, but also the price increase for alternative market crops, represent the greatest challenges for domestic hemp production.</p>
<p>Hemp is a versatile crop. Hemp seeds contain a high proportion of essential fatty acids and trace elements, which is why they are becoming increasingly popular for dietary reasons (hemp oil). Parts of the hemp straw can be processed into soundproofing and insulating material. The pure fibers are used in the manufacture of clothing and paper, while shives can be used to produce pellets or as animal bedding. Hemp also has medicinal uses. In addition to the intoxicating active ingredient THC, non-psychoactive substances such as CBD can also be extracted from the plant. In Austria, hemp is mainly cultivated for seed production. Straw is often only seen as a by-product. Over the last ten years, CBD has also found its way to Austria and the production of hemp for flower and leaf extraction has been stepped up.</p>
<p>The majority of the farmers surveyed consider hemp to be an enriching crop in crop rotation. One of the biggest challenges of hemp cultivation is choosing the right hemp variety from the EU variety catalog and the optimal sowing time for the respective region. Wrong decisions can lead to total failure. Furthermore, caring for the plant is not very time-consuming, as hardly any passes are necessary. However, it is difficult to choose the right harvest time between August and October, especially if seeds and straw are to be harvested. In addition, due to the strong fibers of the hemp plant, the harvesting process can be problematic for inexperienced farmers. In this case, it is advisable to work with contract threshers who have experience with hemp as well as with machines adapted to the plant.</p>
<p>According to the INVEKOS database, hemp areas have been declining again since 2020 and fell to less than 1,500 hectares in 2022. Prior to this, there had been a steady and in some cases steep increase since 2012 to over 2,000 hectares in 2020. According to the experts surveyed, the areas are likely to continue to decline in the coming years. The changed competitiveness of hemp compared to other alternative crops is seen as the main reason for this. According to the interviewees, good sales have been achieved in the past thanks to reliable buyers of hemp products from Germany. Germany is the most important importer of Austrian hemp products, especially hemp seeds.</p>
<p>Yields in the hemp seed sector in Austria average 700 kg/ha. The organic producer price for seeds in 2022 was €2.2/kg and the conventional price was €1.3/kg. Straw yields averaged 4 t/ha and the producer price was a good €200/t. It should also be noted that hemp is mainly produced on low-yielding soils in Austria. The yields of hemp leaves/flowers are difficult to estimate, they are around 1,000 kg/ha. The producer price fluctuates greatly and was just under €5/kg in 2022.</p>
<p>From a crop cultivation perspective in particular, hemp is seen as an interesting market crop that copes well with drought and requires almost no pesticides or fertilizers. Particularly in light of the ongoing discussions about reducing the use of active ingredients and fertilizers as part of the Green Deal, hemp could receive special attention. In the long term, an expansion of hemp cultivation can help to increase biodiversity in plant production, reduce production risks, produce raw materials regionally and thus improve overall agricultural value creation and increase social acceptance of the energy and raw materials transition. In this respect, hemp also represents a plant with potential in the development of bioeconomy strategies. However, the interviewees were critical of the lack of public support, which could have a negative impact on the further development of the Austrian hemp market.</p>
<p>Project start: 04/2022<br />Project end: 12/2023</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</span></p><p>Hemp has been grown as a crop in Austria for centuries, but until now it has had the character of a niche crop. The demand for hemp products has been growing for several years, although the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent sharp rise in prices have slowed this development. The aim of the study was to present the various production, utilization and marketing possibilities of the individual plant parts in Austria in more detail and to look at them from the perspective of various stakeholders. In addition to extensive data research, the main focus of the work was therefore on the results of qualitative interviews with stakeholders along the value chain (production, processing, trade) and public administration. In addition to weather conditions, machinery and the know-how of farmers on the primary production side, the current marketing difficulties due to competition from low-wage countries, but also the price increase for alternative market crops, represent the greatest challenges for domestic hemp production.</p>
<p>Hemp is a versatile crop. Hemp seeds contain a high proportion of essential fatty acids and trace elements, which is why they are becoming increasingly popular for dietary reasons (hemp oil). Parts of the hemp straw can be processed into soundproofing and insulating material. The pure fibers are used in the manufacture of clothing and paper, while shives can be used to produce pellets or as animal bedding. Hemp also has medicinal uses. In addition to the intoxicating active ingredient THC, non-psychoactive substances such as CBD can also be extracted from the plant. In Austria, hemp is mainly cultivated for seed production. Straw is often only seen as a by-product. Over the last ten years, CBD has also found its way to Austria and the production of hemp for flower and leaf extraction has been stepped up.</p>
<p>The majority of the farmers surveyed consider hemp to be an enriching crop in crop rotation. One of the biggest challenges of hemp cultivation is choosing the right hemp variety from the EU variety catalog and the optimal sowing time for the respective region. Wrong decisions can lead to total failure. Furthermore, caring for the plant is not very time-consuming, as hardly any passes are necessary. However, it is difficult to choose the right harvest time between August and October, especially if seeds and straw are to be harvested. In addition, due to the strong fibers of the hemp plant, the harvesting process can be problematic for inexperienced farmers. In this case, it is advisable to work with contract threshers who have experience with hemp as well as with machines adapted to the plant.</p>
<p>According to the INVEKOS database, hemp areas have been declining again since 2020 and fell to less than 1,500 hectares in 2022. Prior to this, there had been a steady and in some cases steep increase since 2012 to over 2,000 hectares in 2020. According to the experts surveyed, the areas are likely to continue to decline in the coming years. The changed competitiveness of hemp compared to other alternative crops is seen as the main reason for this. According to the interviewees, good sales have been achieved in the past thanks to reliable buyers of hemp products from Germany. Germany is the most important importer of Austrian hemp products, especially hemp seeds.</p>
<p>Yields in the hemp seed sector in Austria average 700 kg/ha. The organic producer price for seeds in 2022 was €2.2/kg and the conventional price was €1.3/kg. Straw yields averaged 4 t/ha and the producer price was a good €200/t. It should also be noted that hemp is mainly produced on low-yielding soils in Austria. The yields of hemp leaves/flowers are difficult to estimate, they are around 1,000 kg/ha. The producer price fluctuates greatly and was just under €5/kg in 2022.</p>
<p>From a crop cultivation perspective in particular, hemp is seen as an interesting market crop that copes well with drought and requires almost no pesticides or fertilizers. Particularly in light of the ongoing discussions about reducing the use of active ingredients and fertilizers as part of the Green Deal, hemp could receive special attention. In the long term, an expansion of hemp cultivation can help to increase biodiversity in plant production, reduce production risks, produce raw materials regionally and thus improve overall agricultural value creation and increase social acceptance of the energy and raw materials transition. In this respect, hemp also represents a plant with potential in the development of bioeconomy strategies. However, the interviewees were critical of the lack of public support, which could have a negative impact on the further development of the Austrian hemp market.</p>
<p>Project start: 04/2022<br />Project end: 12/2023</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated with DeepL.com (free version)</span></p>BAB 045/20: COVID-19 Lessons learnt2020-11-02T09:08:45+01:002020-11-02T09:08:45+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=285:bab-045-20-covid-19-lessons-learnt&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<h3>Context</h3>
<p>With the beginning of the Covi9-19 crisis in March 2020, weaknesses of the Austrian and global economic system became visible. The initiative for the research project was already taken in April 2020 when it became clear that coping with the Covid-19 crisis would pose major challenges to the agricultural and forestry sector.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>To present short- and medium-term measures to strengthen agricultural production and its processing and marketing in light of the lessons learned from the Corona crisis. As well as to generate evidence on: i) regional value chains / international market linkages; ii) labor input in agriculture / labor from abroad; iii) outlets in gastronomy and direct marketing; and iv) promotional instruments. The project is divided into work packages, staff members of the Federal Institute of Agriculture and Mining will participate in the following sub-projects:</p>
<h3>Context</h3>
<p>With the beginning of the Covi9-19 crisis in March 2020, weaknesses of the Austrian and global economic system became visible. The initiative for the research project was already taken in April 2020 when it became clear that coping with the Covid-19 crisis would pose major challenges to the agricultural and forestry sector.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>To present short- and medium-term measures to strengthen agricultural production and its processing and marketing in light of the lessons learned from the Corona crisis. As well as to generate evidence on: i) regional value chains / international market linkages; ii) labor input in agriculture / labor from abroad; iii) outlets in gastronomy and direct marketing; and iv) promotional instruments. The project is divided into work packages, staff members of the Federal Institute of Agriculture and Mining will participate in the following sub-projects:</p>
BAB 018/19: Organic Crop Yields2019-01-02T10:49:13+01:002019-01-02T10:49:13+01:00https://bab.gv.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=230:bab-018-19-organic-crop-yields&catid=112&lang=en&Itemid=413Michaela Hager<h3>Initial situation</h3>
<p>Organic farming has been an important part of agricultural production in Austria for many years. Around 25% of agricultural land is currently farmed organically. The BML is making efforts to promote and further develop organic farming by focusing on specific measures. Information on area yields of the various crops as well as total quantities, local differences, potential demand and actual yield differences compared to conventional production are fundamental to this. In 2016, the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics carried out and published special evaluations and projections on this topic for the period 2003-2015 in the scientific project AWI/54/16 W: Yields from organic farming. This time series has been continuously updated since then.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>The aim of the project is to present Austria-wide volume yields from organic farming. Based on existing data, specific evaluations are to be carried out according to regions (dry, occasionally dry and wetlands) and main agricultural production areas. Existing data sets will be supplemented to provide an overview of the quantities produced in organic farming and thus improve the availability of statistical information in organic production.</p>
<h3>Work 2023</h3>
<p>For the Green Report 2023, the harvest quantities of selected organic crops and the organic yields per hectare were calculated and published in tabular form. Evaluations were also carried out for the project "Crop contributions and data bases for farm planning" (BAB/015/10). While the allocation of the farming method in previous years was based on the information provided by the farmers, since 2021 the organically farmed areas have been identified via participation in the "Organic farming method" measure according to INVEKOS.</p>
<h3>Work in 2024</h3>
<p>A calculation of organic yields and the relative differences to conventional yields per hectare is also planned for 2024 in accordance with the methodology and presentation developed in the AWI/54/16 W scientific project.</p>
<h3>Initial situation</h3>
<p>Organic farming has been an important part of agricultural production in Austria for many years. Around 25% of agricultural land is currently farmed organically. The BML is making efforts to promote and further develop organic farming by focusing on specific measures. Information on area yields of the various crops as well as total quantities, local differences, potential demand and actual yield differences compared to conventional production are fundamental to this. In 2016, the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics carried out and published special evaluations and projections on this topic for the period 2003-2015 in the scientific project AWI/54/16 W: Yields from organic farming. This time series has been continuously updated since then.</p>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>The aim of the project is to present Austria-wide volume yields from organic farming. Based on existing data, specific evaluations are to be carried out according to regions (dry, occasionally dry and wetlands) and main agricultural production areas. Existing data sets will be supplemented to provide an overview of the quantities produced in organic farming and thus improve the availability of statistical information in organic production.</p>
<h3>Work 2023</h3>
<p>For the Green Report 2023, the harvest quantities of selected organic crops and the organic yields per hectare were calculated and published in tabular form. Evaluations were also carried out for the project "Crop contributions and data bases for farm planning" (BAB/015/10). While the allocation of the farming method in previous years was based on the information provided by the farmers, since 2021 the organically farmed areas have been identified via participation in the "Organic farming method" measure according to INVEKOS.</p>
<h3>Work in 2024</h3>
<p>A calculation of organic yields and the relative differences to conventional yields per hectare is also planned for 2024 in accordance with the methodology and presentation developed in the AWI/54/16 W scientific project.</p>