Distribution of CAP environmental payments in 2023

The annual report of the Estonian 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme (RDP) analyses the CAP payment distribution by different categories.

The primary objective of the study was to gain a detailed understanding and in-depth overview of the distribution of RDP and CAP supports among different types of agricultural producers.

In the distribution of subsidies paid out in 2023, the representation of agricultural producers, as well as the structure of the total population by production type and economic size, have been the basis for analysis. In the analysis of the distribution of subsidies, producers are divided into four groups based on their economic size, calculated standard output coefficients.

For each agricultural producer on the agricultural register and information boards' animal and/or field register (who had land and/or farm animals), production type and economic size were determined according to the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) typology. Based on the field of activity, agricultural producers are divided into seven production types at a general level.

The main data sources are FADN, administrative data on support from the agricultural register and information board, which also acts as the CAP Paying Agency.

From the total amount of pillar II supports paid out in 2023, 43% were RDP environment-related supports. Half (51%) of the RDP environmental payments consisted of the agri-environmental-climate measure (AECM 10), of which the largest part (38%) was the AECM basic scheme, which provides environmentally friendly management support. This was followed by support for organic production (33%), maintenance of semi-natural habitats (9.6%), support for Natura 2000 private forest land (7.8%) and support for animal welfare (7.7%).

Out of the total RDP environmental support paid out in 2023, 70% went to large producers, 14% to medium-sized producers, 9.1% to producers of an undefined economic size according to the FADN typology, 5.1% to small producers and 1.9% to hobby farms.