The Measurement of Average Farm Size

Abstract

Comparisons are regularly drawn between the average sizes of farms in particular countries or regions and in different farm‐type categories. Indeed average farm size is often considered to explain (or create expectations of) changes or differences in technical or economic efficiency through time or between countries. There are, however, a number of issues involved in specifying what is meant by a farm and in choosing a suitable measure of farm size. These are examined prior to a discussion of various measures of average size, one of which (the mid‐aggregate point) is described in some detail. The measures are illustrated with reference to agricultural holdings in England and in the Member States of the European Union.

Multiple succession and land division on family farms in the South East of England: A counterbalance to agricultural concentration?

“…Gasson, 1969;Lund and Price, 1998) and a viable unit may thus be small, but intensively farmed (e.g. organic herbs) or contain substantial non-land-related resources.…”

“…With this in mind, it is possible to imagine that the trend of agricultural expansion on individual farms is unidirectional. This perception of continually increasing farm size is facilitated by the lack of information concerning land area changes on individual farms, with the majority of studies (mostly conducted as an economic analysis) employing average farm size statistics to describe changes in farm area (Britton, 1977;Lund and Price, 1998). As observed earlier, perhaps the most easily accessible source of information on farm size in the UK is the June Agricultural Census.…”

“…As a consequence, conclusions about farm size change are, ultimately, only conclusions about average farm size change and over any period may have little bearing on how individual farms are changing-either in terms of the size of the unit or the fragmentation of the farm. The second problem is that the figures given in the agricultural census are holding size and not total farm size; thus, since several holdings may be run by a single farmer, the number of holdings will be greater than the number of farm businesses and the average size will be smaller (Lund and Price, 1998). Finally, Britton (1950) notes that even where average size is employed on a more general scale to look at farm size changes, the average size of a holding can be misleading as the mean is unduly sensitive to changes at the lower end of the scaleleading researchers such as Lund and Price (1998) to actively seek better ways of measuring the central tendency of farm size statistics.…”

“…In particular, data sources in the UK such as the June Agricultural Censusprobably the most commonly employed data source to investigate farm size change (e.g. Britton, 1977;Lund and Price, 1998)-come with three fundamental problems. First, and most importantly, June Census figures are not released at a sufficiently detailed level to enable researchers to track the development of individual farms, but rather provide an average measure of the holding size for any particular region.…”

Efficiency of Estonian grain farms in 2000 2004

“…One of the key factors that determine the efficiency of a farm is the land area (Lund and Price 1998). An on-going trend throughout Europe is a decrease in the number of all farms with an increase in their average size (Stoate et al 2001).…”