Determining Factors of Farm Exit in Agriculture in Switzerland

Over the past 30 years, the number of farms in Switzerland decreased by an average of almost 2% per annum. The average area per farm rose from 10 ha to over 19 ha. In order to analyse the forces driving farm exits, this study uses data from the Swiss Farm Structure Survey (FSS) between 2001 and 2011. These data are used in binary logistic regression models to estimate exit probabilities and determining factors of structural change. The logit results show that the probability of farm exit decreases for younger but increases for older operators. Organic farming, farm size, number of manpower units per hectare and farming full-time are also found to have a significant negative influence on exit. By contrast, work intensity and sex of the farm operator positively influence farm exits