Setback in the Agricultural Sector

After two good years the agriculture and forestry sector suffered a setback in 1991. Output and value added receded, farm incomes fell and the decline in employment accelerated. In all Federal provinces except Vienna the value of final output was lower than in the previous year. In Styria, it stagnated while in Vienna it was higher than in 1990 due to the favourable development of horticulture. Losses were lower in the Eastern provinces than in the Western parts of the country. The regional pattern was primarily determined by a sharp fall in timber production as a reaction to the previous year's damages caused by storm. Final output fell most markedly in Vorarlberg (–11½ percent) and Upper Austria (–10 percent).