Shifts in Agricultural Land Use Reflect Changing Crop Priorities
Preliminary data from Statistics Estonia reveals a notable 8% decrease in the land area dedicated to potato farming in 2024 compared to the previous year. The total agricultural land area in Estonia this year is reported to be 983,400 hectares, marking a slight decrease of 4,400 hectares from 2023.
According to Ege Kirs, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, potatoes are cultivated on 3,200 hectares of land across the country, including approximately 250 hectares by private households. This reflects a significant reduction from a decade ago when potatoes were grown on nearly twice the current area (6,300 hectares) and five times more twenty years ago.
In addition to the decline in potato farming land, there has been a slight reduction in the area allocated for fruit and berry plantations. Specifically, strawberry cultivation has decreased by 5% to 530 hectares in 2024. The overall area for fruit and berry plantations now stands at 3,900 hectares, which is 2% smaller than the previous year. Conversely, the area dedicated to outdoor vegetable cultivation has expanded by 5% to 1,650 hectares this year.
There has also been an increase in the cultivation area for mangolds and other less common vegetable crops, reflecting shifting agricultural practices and priorities in Estonia.
