Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

M. Eder and W. Schneeberger:

Development path and characteristics of farms leaving the Austrian agri-environmental programme

Summary

The Austrian Agri-environmental programme (ÖPUL) has been in operation since 1995. This paper provides an overview of ÖPUL participation from 1995 until 2006. It then presents the results of a survey of those farms leaving the ÖPUL programme once the minimum five year period of commitment expired. There then follows an analysis using INVEKOS data for the years 1999 to 2003, with a focus on the farms leaving ÖPUL during this period and an examination of the subsequent fate of those farms that left at the end of 1999. In summary, these farms are divided into three groups: those that continued farming without ÖPUL payments, those that returned to ÖPUL after a break of one or more years, and those that made then no application for any agricultural support or subsidy (most of these left agriculture altogether). These three groups are described using INVEKOS data, notably in terms of location, agricultural area, animal production and ÖPUL payments. Key words:  Agri-environmental programme, participation, payments, survey, INVEKOS data, IACS data, Austria.