Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira releases Agriculture and Fishery Statistics for 2024

The Regional Statistics Directorate of Madeira (DREM) today releases statistical information regarding ​​Agriculture and Fisheries for the year 2024, which also includes information for 2023 on the structure of agricultural holdings. In addition to the tables available on the website, an annual publication is also released, which includes an analysis of results, from which the following points are extracted that summarise the evolution of the sector in that year:

Farm Structure Survey 2024 - Utilised Agricultural Area increased

According to the 2023 Farm Structure Survey (IEEA 2023), the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM) had, in that year, 12 202 holdings and a Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) of 4 702.9 hectares (1 hectare = 100 ares = 10 000 m²). Concerning the Agricultural Census of 2019 (RA19), the number of farms fell by 9.8%, while the UAA grew by 2.1%. It is worth noting that the history between agricultural censuses (which usually occur every 10 years) and between structural surveys has always shown reductions in the UAA area in the Region - a trend that was reversed in the IEEA 2023.

The growth of the UAA and the reduction in the number of farms in the Region led to an increase in the average UAA area (calculated by dividing the UAA by the number of farms with UAA, which is 12 186), which stood at 3 859 m², above that found in RA19 (3 416 m²).

Agriculture: Production of potatoes and sugar cane increased, while that of bananas and Vitis vinifera grapes decreased

Among temporary crops, potatoes remained the crop with the highest production volume in 2024, totalling 17 353 tonnes, representing an increase of 4.3% compared with 2023. Sugarcane ranked second in this group, with 8 920 tonnes, which was 60 tonnes more than in 2023 (+0.7%). In third place was sweet potato, with 7 703 tonnes, whose production recorded a decrease of 679 tonnes, corresponding to a reduction of 8.1% compared with the previous year.

Among permanent crops, in 2024, both banana and grape production (from Vitis vinifera varieties) declined compared to the previous year: banana production totalled 25 688 tonnes (-3.0%), while grape production amounted to 3 232 tonnes (-20.5%).

Regarding bananas marketed by GESBA, it is worth noting that, in 2024, those of extra class accounted for 83.0% of the total processed, a figure lower than that recorded in 2023 (84.7%). As for grapes (according to data from the Instituto do Vinho, Bordado e Artesanato da Madeira (IVBAM, I.P.)76.3% of the total production corresponded to Tinta Negra (73.2% in 2023).

Animal Production: Poultry meat increased, eggs and slaughtered livestock decreased

In the industrial poultry sector, egg production totalled 32.4 million units, decreasing 0.9% compared to the previous year. An inverse trend was recorded in poultry meat, whose volume was around 3.5 thousand tonnes, which represents an increase of 1.1% compared to 2023.

The total weight of cattle slaughtered livestock and approved for consumption by the population stood at 881.2 tonnes (net weight), down by 8.1% over the previous year. This decrease reflects the drop observed in the slaughter of pigs (-70.5%) and cattle (-4.3%), which were the most slaughtered species this year (97.6% of the total).

Fisheries: Reduction in landed catch volume substantially greater than in first sale value

The year 2024 was characterised by a 25.2% decrease in the volume of landed catch, with the annual total amounting to 3.5 thousand tonnes. The first sale value also fell (-8.2% compared to 2023), with the annual total amounting to 16.7 million euros.

The negative evolution observed in volume was mainly due to the decrease in catches of tuna and similar species (-56.9%), although the volume of mackerel and blue jack mackerel also decreased (-51.5% and -60.2%, respectively). On the other hand, catches of black scabbardfish increased by 8.5% compared to the previous year.

Black scabbardfish was the most abundant species in 2024, totalling 2 299.5 tonnes (65.4% of total landed catch), followed by tuna and similar, with 885.9 tonnes (25.2% share). In terms of revenue from the first sale, black scabbardfish recorded an increase of 14.7% compared to 2023, totalling 11.4 million euros, while tuna and similar decreased significantly by 44.4% to a value of 3.5 million euros.

In 2024, the average price of fish calculated at first sale (excluding fish landed for self-consumption) increased by 22.9%, reaching 4.83 euros (3.93 euros in 2023). For black scabbardfish, the price reached 5.05 euros (4.79 euros in 2023), and for tuna and similar species, it rose to 4.01 euros (3.10 euros in 2023).

In the Region, 1 362.0 tonnes of seabream were produced, -2.4% compared to 2023. In turn, sales were around 8.5 million euros, growing by 6.6% compared to the previous year. By markets, it can be seen that 87.1% of the sales value relates to the national market (Mainland and Azores) and only 12.9% to the regional market.

Economic Accounts of Agriculture and Exports of Agricultural Products: Agricultural Gross Added Value grew by 16.0% and reached 66.0 million euros

Provisional data from the Regional Economic Accounts of Agriculture show that, in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM), agricultural production in 2023 was set at 149.8 million euros, growing by 6.8% in nominal terms compared to the previous year.

The Gross Value Added (GVA), which corresponds to the difference between agricultural production and intermediate consumption, grew by 16.0% in nominal terms between 2022 and 2023, reaching 66.0 million euros. This increase is due to the fact that the value of intermediate consumption (+0.5%) rose at a slower pace than production (+6.8%).

Gross Fixed Capital Formation, one of the components of investment, amounted to 9.8 million euros in 2024, representing a 10.8% increase compared to 2022.

Regarding the export of agricultural products, the Autonomous Region of Madeira shipped 20.6 thousand tonnes of bananas (21.6 thousand tonnes in 2023).

Agricultural Prices: Prices of agricultural goods increased, while those of means of production decreased

In 2024, the index of agricultural goods producer prices recorded an increase of 10.4% compared to 2023, resulting from growth in both crop production (+11.0%) and animal production (+3.1%).

In crop production, notable price increases were observed in sugarcane (+19.8%), plants and flowers (+19.8%), and vegetables and horticultural products (+11.4%), including fresh vegetables (+10.7%). The price of table potatoes rose by 9.7% in 2024, following a significant increase of 52.3% in the previous year.

In animal production, the 3.1% increase compared to 2023 was due to higher price indices for honey (+8.3%) and live animals (+4.4%).

The price index of current consumption inputs in agriculture fell by 8.2% in 2024 compared to the previous year, mainly due to decreases in the price indices of fertilisers and soil improvers (-30.7%), animal feed, and energy and lubricants (both -5.3%).

Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira releases a time series on Agriculture and Fishery Statistics for the years 1976 to 2024

The Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) also releases today, on its official statistics website, the updated Time Series on Agriculture and Fishery Statistics updated with the data from 2024.

The information is grouped into the following chapters:

- Agriculture;

- Fisheries;

- Agricultural Economic Accounts and Exports of Agricultural Products;

- Agricultural prices;

- Forestry and hunting.

For more information, please click on:

• In Focus (Portuguese only)
• Publications (Portuguese only)
• Tables
• Long series

Back

• Next