Farmers are mobilizing throughout the country to demand ways to earn better wages. But what is their average income?
Farmers’ discontent is growing in France. Bad weather, prices of raw materials, new standards… operators are warning of an increase in production costs which is preventing them from earning a decent remuneration. What income do they receive on average? The situations actually vary greatly from one type of operation to another, as pointed out BFMTV. Especially since the vast majority of farmers have self-employed status and set their own income.
A first indicator of agricultural remuneration is the current income before taxes (RCAI) per non-salaried full-time equivalent, provided by the statistical service of the Ministry of Agriculture (Agreste): in 2022, the average annual RCAI of farmers amounted to 56,014 euros. This figure includes the operating result, the financial result before deduction of social security contributions but also the aid and subsidies received by the operator.
70% of current income comes from subsidies
This RCAI makes it possible to realize the significant disparities from one farm to another: thus, in 2022, it amounted to 125,409 euros on average for pig breeders, but only 19,819 euros for sheep and goat breeders. . Furthermore, 92% of operators received national and European aid, which constituted on average more than 70% of this current income before tax.
But the RCAI does not accurately reflect a farmer’s income because part of this figure is often reinvested in the farm. To better assess farmers’ remuneration, INSEE therefore provides data on the disposable income of agricultural households for the year 2018. On average, agricultural households declared 52,400 euros of disposable income over the year. However, only a third of this figure came from agricultural activity. The rest was derived from the spouse’s salaried income or from a non-agricultural salaried activity accumulated by the farmer.