Breeders are the worst off farmers in France, with "
the lowest agricultural income and standard of living
", a quarter of them living below the poverty line, according to an INSEE study published on Monday.
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On average, recalls the National Institute of Statistics, only a third of the resources of agricultural households come from agricultural activity. "
The majority of their income comes from other activities, in particular those of the spouse, and a fifth comes from the patrimony, in particular in the form of rents
". But between farmers, the disparities are strong: incomes "
are particularly low in the areas of beef cattle breeding
" and often "
higher in the wine-growing areas and in those combining various major crops
".
In areas where beef or mixed cattle, sheep or goats live, where 17% of households live, agricultural income constitutes “
30% of their resources
”, which corresponds roughly to the average for farmers.
But in their case, as income “
from other activities is also low
”, households “
are very exposed to poverty: one in four people live below the poverty line
” (against 18% for all agricultural households. ), underlines the document.
Higher income for grain farmers or wine growers
Their low standard of living can also be explained by the fact that they are mainly settled in the center of France, in the countryside far from the employment centers, that they live “
more often alone than other farmers, and therefore benefit less often from the income of a spouse or other family member
”.
The incomes are comparatively much higher among cereal growers or wine growers.
Thus in 2018, "
the income generated by the agricultural activity of households in wine-growing areas is 1.9 times greater than that of cattle-breeding areas
" and represents "
more than 40% of household resources
", according to the study. .
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France has nearly 400,000 farmers, of whom three quarters are men, and more than half are 50 years or older.
The median standard of living of agricultural households is comparable to that of all households but poverty is more intense among farmers, notes INSEE: “
the median standard of living of poor people is 9,400 euros, or 1,300 euros less than among poor households with earned income
”.
