Crop farming
Kiirviited
Ava kõik atribuudid
Kontakt
Contact organisation: Statistics Estonia
Contact organisation unit: Economic and Environmental Statistics Department
Contact name: Ege Kirs
Contact person function: Agricultural and Technology Statistics Service Team, Leading Analyst
Contact mail address: Tatari 51, 10134 Tallinn, Estonia
Contact email address: ege.kirs@stat.ee
Contact phone number: 372 5359 9845
Metadata last certified 30/09/2025
Metadata last update 30/09/2025
Purpose
The data on the sown areas, yield and production of crops serve as input for the market organisation of the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP). The data on fertilisers are used in the development of agricultural and environmental policies and measures, including those related to the Nitrates Directive, the Water Framework Directive, and HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan. The data from this statistical activity are also used in the compilation of the Estonian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Utilised agricultural area is an indicator of the Estonian Agriculture and Fisheries Strategy 2030 (AFS 2030). Crop farming indicators are among the context indicators planned in the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027.
Type of activity
Multisource process
Statistical presentation
Data description (S.3.1)
Utilised agricultural area, sown area and harvested area of crops, production and yield of crops (database table PM0281). For sown areas, production and yield of crops, preliminary estimates and final data are published separately;
crop production per capita (database table PM061);
area fertilised with organic, mineral, lime fertiliser, quantity of nutrients in mineral fertilisers and quantity of lime fertiliser used, quantity of nutrients in manure (database tables PM064, PM065, PM069 and PM0646);
amount of seed and certified seed used for sowing (database table PM043);
estimated area of autumn sowings of winter crops (database table PM030);
utilised organic agricultural area, sown area of organic crops, fruit and berry plantations, production of organic crops (database table PM071).
crop production per capita (database table PM061);
area fertilised with organic, mineral, lime fertiliser, quantity of nutrients in mineral fertilisers and quantity of lime fertiliser used, quantity of nutrients in manure (database tables PM064, PM065, PM069 and PM0646);
amount of seed and certified seed used for sowing (database table PM043);
estimated area of autumn sowings of winter crops (database table PM030);
utilised organic agricultural area, sown area of organic crops, fruit and berry plantations, production of organic crops (database table PM071).
Classification system (S.3.2)
Sector coverage (S.3.3)
Agriculture
Statistical concepts and definitions (S.3.4)
Agricultural holding – a unit with single technical and financial management which produces agricultural products or maintains its land in good agricultural and environmental condition and whose land use is registered with the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB) or which exceeds the threshold for agricultural holdings.
Until 2019, the threshold for agricultural holdings was:
- at least one hectare of utilised agricultural land or
- less than one hectare of utilised agricultural land, and agricultural products are produced mainly for sale.
From 2020, the threshold for agricultural holdings is at least:
- 5 hectares of utilised agricultural area or
- 2 hectares of arable land or
- 0.5 hectares of potatoes or
- 0.5 hectares of vegetables and strawberries or
- 0.2 hectares of aromatic and medicinal plants and herbs, flowers, seeds, nurseries or
- 0.3 hectares of fruit and berry plantations, other permanent crops (except nurseries) or
- 100 square metres of greenhouses or
- 1.7 livestock units.
From 2023, 0.1 hectares of outdoor grapevines were added to the threshold.
Units where agricultural products are not produced but land is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition are included as agricultural units from 2007.
Agricultural small unit – a unit which is smaller than an agricultural holding and whose land use is not registered with the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB), where there is at least:
- 50 square metres of kitchen garden or three fruit trees or six berry bushes or
- 10 rabbits, 10 poultry or other agricultural animals or
- three swarms of bees.
Arable land – land worked regularly, generally under a system of crop rotation. Arable land consists of:
- area under cereals (wheat, rye, triticale, barley, oats, mixed grain, buckwheat) for the production of dry grain;
- area under dry pulses (peas, field beans and lupins, other dry pulses, including mixture of cereals and dry pulses) for the production of dry grain;
- area under potatoes;
- area under fodder roots (excluding seeds);
- area under industrial crops (rape and turnip rape, linseed, flax, and aromatic and medicinal plants and herbs, other industrial crops);
- area under fresh vegetables, outdoor or under low (non-accessible) cover;
- area under flowers and ornamental plants, outdoor or under low (non-accessible) cover;
- area under fresh vegetables under glass or high (accessible) cover (crops which for the whole of the period of growth or for the predominant part of it are covered by greenhouses or fixed or mobile high cover (glass or rigid or flexible plastic));
- area under flowers and ornamental plants under glass or high (accessible) cover (crops which for the whole of the period of growth or for the predominant part of it are covered by greenhouses or fixed or mobile high cover (glass or rigid or flexible plastic));
- area under annual forage crops (cereals, maize, dry pulses, rape and turnip rape, other annual forage crops);
- area under multiannual forage crops (leguminous plants and grasses for hay, silage or grazing, grown in temporary grassland in rotation with other arable crops and occupying the same land for a maximum of five years);
- area under forage crops seeds;
- fallow land — land left to recover, normally for the whole of a crop year (bare land and green fallow).
Certified organic products – agricultural products received from a fully converted organic agricultural area or certified organic livestock that can be labelled as fully organic
Certified seed – seed, the descent of which, the identity, purity and quality of the species and variety of which and the compliance of which with the plant health requirements has been assessed in accordance with internationally established requirements and the packaging of which has been sealed and marked under the supervision of the Agriculture and Food Board
Conversion period – transition from non-organic to organic farming, within a given time period, during which the provisions concerning organic production are applied. During that period, the production cannot be labelled as organic yet.
Fruit and berry plantation – area for growing fruits and berries (incl. forest berries, and fruits and berries grown in kitchen garden for own consumption)
Fully converted – agricultural area and/or livestock which has passed the fixed conversion period from non-organic to organic farming, during which the provisions concerning organic production were and will be continuously applied. After the conversion period, the production can be labelled as organic.
Harvested area – the part of the sowing area that was harvested in the reference year
Kitchen garden – land separated off from the rest of the holding, devoted to the cultivation of products for the consumption by persons living on the holding (only occasional surplus of products are sold). Decorative gardens (parks and lawns) are not included.
Liming – method of land improvement where lime fertilisers are added to acidic soil to reduce the acidity and improve the nutritional conditions of soil. Suitable local substances for liming: cement clinker dust, limestone meal, dolomite meal.
Livestock unit (LSU) – a standard measurement unit that allows the aggregation of various kinds of livestock and poultry. Livestock units are defined on the basis of the feed requirements of individual animal categories. A dairy cow corresponds to one livestock unit, the coefficients of other animals are smaller (e.g. bovine animal – 0.8; fattening pig – 0.3; broiler – 0.007). The coefficients of livestock units are defined by Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Nursery – area of young ligneous (woody) plants, fruit trees, berry bushes or ornamental young plants grown in the open air (incl. greenhouses) for subsequent transplantation; commercial forest-tree nurseries, whether in woodland or outside, are included. Excluded are non-commercial nurseries of forest trees in woodland.
Organic farming – sustainable production of agricultural produce, which maintains basic equilibrium, is environmentally sustainable and which is carried out in compliance with the Organic Farming Act and other relevant legislation. Holdings with organic production have the approval of the Estonian Agriculture and Food Board (either fully compliant with the principles of organic production or still in a conversion period).
Organic fertiliser – organic matter added in the soil as fertiliser
Permanent grassland – land used to grow grass and other herbaceous crops, through cultivation (sown) or naturally (self-seeded), which is not included in the crop rotation for more than 5 years. Other species suitable for grazing may be included, provided that grasses or other herbaceous forage remain predominant.
Production – harvested production, incl. for own requirement (the yield of covered areas is the sum of yields from all sowings)
Sown area/area under cultivation – area under field crops
Sown seed – quantity of seed used in the reference year
Utilised agricultural area – area utilised in the reference year for agricultural production or maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (incl. arable land, permanent grassland, fruit and berry plantations, nurseries, and kitchen gardens). Land not used for agricultural production but maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition is included in agricultural area from 2007.
Yield – harvested production per hectare of sown area in the reference year.
Until 2019, the threshold for agricultural holdings was:
- at least one hectare of utilised agricultural land or
- less than one hectare of utilised agricultural land, and agricultural products are produced mainly for sale.
From 2020, the threshold for agricultural holdings is at least:
- 5 hectares of utilised agricultural area or
- 2 hectares of arable land or
- 0.5 hectares of potatoes or
- 0.5 hectares of vegetables and strawberries or
- 0.2 hectares of aromatic and medicinal plants and herbs, flowers, seeds, nurseries or
- 0.3 hectares of fruit and berry plantations, other permanent crops (except nurseries) or
- 100 square metres of greenhouses or
- 1.7 livestock units.
From 2023, 0.1 hectares of outdoor grapevines were added to the threshold.
Units where agricultural products are not produced but land is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition are included as agricultural units from 2007.
Agricultural small unit – a unit which is smaller than an agricultural holding and whose land use is not registered with the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB), where there is at least:
- 50 square metres of kitchen garden or three fruit trees or six berry bushes or
- 10 rabbits, 10 poultry or other agricultural animals or
- three swarms of bees.
Arable land – land worked regularly, generally under a system of crop rotation. Arable land consists of:
- area under cereals (wheat, rye, triticale, barley, oats, mixed grain, buckwheat) for the production of dry grain;
- area under dry pulses (peas, field beans and lupins, other dry pulses, including mixture of cereals and dry pulses) for the production of dry grain;
- area under potatoes;
- area under fodder roots (excluding seeds);
- area under industrial crops (rape and turnip rape, linseed, flax, and aromatic and medicinal plants and herbs, other industrial crops);
- area under fresh vegetables, outdoor or under low (non-accessible) cover;
- area under flowers and ornamental plants, outdoor or under low (non-accessible) cover;
- area under fresh vegetables under glass or high (accessible) cover (crops which for the whole of the period of growth or for the predominant part of it are covered by greenhouses or fixed or mobile high cover (glass or rigid or flexible plastic));
- area under flowers and ornamental plants under glass or high (accessible) cover (crops which for the whole of the period of growth or for the predominant part of it are covered by greenhouses or fixed or mobile high cover (glass or rigid or flexible plastic));
- area under annual forage crops (cereals, maize, dry pulses, rape and turnip rape, other annual forage crops);
- area under multiannual forage crops (leguminous plants and grasses for hay, silage or grazing, grown in temporary grassland in rotation with other arable crops and occupying the same land for a maximum of five years);
- area under forage crops seeds;
- fallow land — land left to recover, normally for the whole of a crop year (bare land and green fallow).
Certified organic products – agricultural products received from a fully converted organic agricultural area or certified organic livestock that can be labelled as fully organic
Certified seed – seed, the descent of which, the identity, purity and quality of the species and variety of which and the compliance of which with the plant health requirements has been assessed in accordance with internationally established requirements and the packaging of which has been sealed and marked under the supervision of the Agriculture and Food Board
Conversion period – transition from non-organic to organic farming, within a given time period, during which the provisions concerning organic production are applied. During that period, the production cannot be labelled as organic yet.
Fruit and berry plantation – area for growing fruits and berries (incl. forest berries, and fruits and berries grown in kitchen garden for own consumption)
Fully converted – agricultural area and/or livestock which has passed the fixed conversion period from non-organic to organic farming, during which the provisions concerning organic production were and will be continuously applied. After the conversion period, the production can be labelled as organic.
Harvested area – the part of the sowing area that was harvested in the reference year
Kitchen garden – land separated off from the rest of the holding, devoted to the cultivation of products for the consumption by persons living on the holding (only occasional surplus of products are sold). Decorative gardens (parks and lawns) are not included.
Liming – method of land improvement where lime fertilisers are added to acidic soil to reduce the acidity and improve the nutritional conditions of soil. Suitable local substances for liming: cement clinker dust, limestone meal, dolomite meal.
Livestock unit (LSU) – a standard measurement unit that allows the aggregation of various kinds of livestock and poultry. Livestock units are defined on the basis of the feed requirements of individual animal categories. A dairy cow corresponds to one livestock unit, the coefficients of other animals are smaller (e.g. bovine animal – 0.8; fattening pig – 0.3; broiler – 0.007). The coefficients of livestock units are defined by Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Nursery – area of young ligneous (woody) plants, fruit trees, berry bushes or ornamental young plants grown in the open air (incl. greenhouses) for subsequent transplantation; commercial forest-tree nurseries, whether in woodland or outside, are included. Excluded are non-commercial nurseries of forest trees in woodland.
Organic farming – sustainable production of agricultural produce, which maintains basic equilibrium, is environmentally sustainable and which is carried out in compliance with the Organic Farming Act and other relevant legislation. Holdings with organic production have the approval of the Estonian Agriculture and Food Board (either fully compliant with the principles of organic production or still in a conversion period).
Organic fertiliser – organic matter added in the soil as fertiliser
Permanent grassland – land used to grow grass and other herbaceous crops, through cultivation (sown) or naturally (self-seeded), which is not included in the crop rotation for more than 5 years. Other species suitable for grazing may be included, provided that grasses or other herbaceous forage remain predominant.
Production – harvested production, incl. for own requirement (the yield of covered areas is the sum of yields from all sowings)
Sown area/area under cultivation – area under field crops
Sown seed – quantity of seed used in the reference year
Utilised agricultural area – area utilised in the reference year for agricultural production or maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (incl. arable land, permanent grassland, fruit and berry plantations, nurseries, and kitchen gardens). Land not used for agricultural production but maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition is included in agricultural area from 2007.
Yield – harvested production per hectare of sown area in the reference year.
Statistical unit (S.3.5)
Agricultural holding;
agricultural small unit;
organic farmer
agricultural small unit;
organic farmer
Statistical population (S.3.6)
Agricultural holdings with utilised agricultural area;
agricultural small units with utilised agricultural area
agricultural small units with utilised agricultural area
Reference area (S.3.7)
Estonia as a whole
Time coverage (S.3.8)
1980–…
Base period (S.3.9)
Not applicable
Reference period
Year
Institutional mandate
Legal acts and other agreements (S.6.1)
From 2025, the statistical activity on crop farming is carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1538 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards crop production statistics.
From 2026, fertiliser data are collected on the basis of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2212 of 3 September 2024.
Until 2024, the statistical activity was carried out on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 543/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 concerning crop statistics and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 837/90 and (EEC) No 959/93 (Text with EEA relevance).
From 2026, fertiliser data are collected on the basis of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2212 of 3 September 2024.
Until 2024, the statistical activity was carried out on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 543/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 concerning crop statistics and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 837/90 and (EEC) No 959/93 (Text with EEA relevance).
Data sharing (S.6.2)
None