Figures released this week by the Swiss Federal Statistics OfficeExternal link revealed a 1.5% drop in the number of farms, bringing the total down to 50,852. However, the number of certified organic farms rose by about 400 to 7,032. This brought the share of organic farms up 1.4 percentage points to 15%.
With these changes came updates to the sorts of animals kept on Swiss farms. Compared to 2017, last year saw a 6.2% increase in the number of laying hens to over 3.37 million birds. Of these, 18% were raised organically. There was also a 3.1% increase in the number of goats, bringing their total population to 80,552.
The number of dairy cows fell to 564,200, representing a decline of 10% over the past decade. However, the number of cattle reared for meat went up by 1.7%, as in previous years.
The trend towards ever larger farms also continued in 2018. Compared to the previous year, 1.6% more farms with a usable area of more than 30 hectares were counted. Smaller farms fell by 2.3%, either because of closures or mergers. The average farm size was a good 20 hectares; in 1980, farms were on average only half as large.
More
More
Egg production keeps on rising
This content was published on
Although the Swiss eat far fewer eggs than their German and Austrian neighbours, Swiss chickens are no layabouts.
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Swiss investigate four people linked to Russian oligarch
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is investigating four individuals linked to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.
Swiss government scrambles to deal with egg shortage
This content was published on
From September 1, more eggs intended for consumption may be imported into Switzerland. In allowing this, the government wants to secure the supply of eggs for consumers.
This content was published on
Agricultural research sees new development opportunities for Swiss sparkling wines in the face of declining wine consumption. In a survey, half of consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for local products than for foreign ones.
Locarno spotlights filmmakers from South America and Caribbean
This content was published on
The Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival has named the winners for 2024. The spotlight is on the South American and Caribbean regions.
Storm paralyses trains to popular Swiss tourist resort
This content was published on
The railway line between Zweilütschinen and Grindelwald in central Switzerland is expected to remain closed until Friday following heavy rains.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Pesticide residues found on 93% of organic Swiss farms
This content was published on
Most fields on organic farms in Switzerland are contaminated with pesticides, according to a study by the University of Neuchâtel.
This content was published on
Organic food continues to attract Swiss consumers, who spent CHF360 per person on such produce in 2018, up from CHF320 the previous year.
This content was published on
The trend for fewer but larger farms continued in Switzerland last year, with the total number dropping by 990 to 52,263.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.