Strategies within the scope of agricultural policy 2002

Within the scope of the introduction of Switzerland’s Agricultural Policy 2002, underlying conditions will change so that there will be pressing need for a large number of farms to take action. Model calculations involving a medium-sized mixed farm show that between 1996 and 2003, given a surface increase of 2 % and an adaptation of the production program according to economic criteria, income decrease amounting to approx. CHF 14 000 is to be expected. An investigation of strategies in view of improving farm income situation showed that an intensification of dairy husbandry or pig fattening in connection with the increase of the farming surface would prove to be the most promising solution.