EU's agricultural output down in 2020

ISTANBUL

The 27-member EU posted a decline in agricultural output in 2020, when pandemic measures hit the economy hard.

Last year, EU countries' total agricultural output totaled €414.1 billion ($472 billion), down 1.1% on a yearly basis, the union's statistical office said on Monday.

France posted the highest agricultural output with €76.3 billion, or about 18.4% of the union’s total output, said Eurostat.

Next came Germany (€57.6 billion in output), Italy (€56.9 billion), Spain (€52.3 billion), and the Netherlands ($28.2 billion).

Last year 11 members posted declines in agricultural output, with the biggest drops seen in Romania (-11.3%), Malta and Bulgaria (both -4.5%), Finland (-3.9%), and Hungary and the Netherlands (both -3.1%).

In contrast, the highest increases, in relative terms, were seen in Lithuania (+8.6%), Ireland (+4.6%), Slovakia (+3.8%), Latvia (+3.1%), and Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus (+2.8%), Eurostat said.