KAZALCI OKOLJA

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Despite the fact that the level of education on Slovenian agricultural holdings has significantly improved in the period 2000-2016, it is still quite unfavourable. Still, more than half of the farmers have only practical experience with work in agriculture. In all age classes, the number of farmers who have completed one of the forms of formal agricultural education is increasing. Under the Rural Development Program, 68,476 participants participated in education and training in the sub-measure Support for Vocational Training and Skills Acquisition Activities. More than half of them were educated in the field of organic farming and animal welfare. The share of farmers with basic and complete agricultural education in Slovenia is higher than the average in the EU-28 countries, but Slovenia still lags considerably behind the most developed European countries.


The indicator shows the educational level of farmers of agricultural holdings in Slovenia based on the achieved agricultural education. Their favourable age and educational structure is one of the important factors which can contribute to the more efficient management of the agricultural holdings, as only well-educated, innovative and aware farmers can more easily adapt to contemporary economic, environmental and social conditions. The number of participants in the trainings under the Rural Development Programme does not provide a direct link between the achieved level of education and the environmental effectiveness of agricultural policy measures, but shows the willingness of decision-makers on farms to educate and introduce environmentally friendly farming methods. The share of the adults involved in lifelong learning and training programs in rural areas is also shown. Lifelong learning is a good instrument for acquiring the knowledge and skills of people in rural areas and contributes to improving the economic situation.


Charts

Figure KM07-1: Agricultural training of holding managers on family farms in Slovenia
Sources: 

EUROSTAT

Chart note: 

Data: 12.05.2020

Show data

Full agricultural trainingc [number]

Basic agricultural training [number]

Practical experiances only [number]

No data [number]

Agricultural training of holding managers [number]

2000

4982

7045

72440

1869

86336

2003

5518

7415

63104

1001

77037

2005

5110

16368

55562

0

77042

2007

5673

20395

49141

0

75209

2010

6559

19896

47970

0

74425

2013

8405

27618

36152

0

72176

2016

9981

24720

34969

0

69671

Figure KM07-2: Agricultural education of holders on agricultural holdings in Slovenia by age classes
Sources: 

EUROSTAT

Chart note: 

Data: 20.10. 2020

Show data

2005 [number]

2010 [number]

2016 [number]

Less than 35 years

2100

1730

1320

35-64 years

32000

29010

21670

Over 65 years

21480

17300

12040

Less than 35 years

660

780

960

35-64 years

11830

14790

17230

Over 65 years

3880

4370

6580

Less than 35 years

670

740

950

35-64 years

3680

4910

7860

Over 65 years

860

1020

1320

Total

77160

74650

69930

Figure KM07-3: Agricultural education of holders on agricultural holdings in Slovenia by age classes
Sources: 

EUROSTAT

Chart note: 

Data: 20.10.2020

Show data

2005[%]

2010[%]

2016[%]

Less than 35 years

2.72

2.32

1.89

35-64 years

41.47

38.86

30.99

Over 65 years

27.84

23.17

17.22

Less than 35 years

0.86

1.04

1.37

35-64 years

15.33

19.81

24.64

Over 65 years

5.03

5.85

9.41

Less than 35 years

0.87

0.99

1.36

35-64 years

4.77

6.58

11.24

Over 65 years

1.11

1.37

1.89

Total

100

100

100

Figure KM07-4: Number of participants in training under Rural Development Programme for Slovenia 2014–2020
Sources: 

MAFF

Chart note: 

Data: 20.10.2020

Show data

2015 [Number]

2016 [Number]

2017 [Number]

2018 [Number]

2019 [Number]

2020 [Number]

Forestry

1146

0

0

0

0

0

Agri-environment-climate payments

0

6451

3154

173

0

0

Organic farming

1080

6896

3260

6812

219

0

Animal wellfare

0

6768

3339

7843

0

109

Young farmers

1023

108

3461

7897

101

0

Processing and marketing

967

6834

0

751

84

0

Total

4216

27057

13214

23476

404

109

Figure KM07-5: Share of holders with basic and fukll agricultural training in Slovenia and other EU Member States
Sources: 

EUROSTAT

Chart note: 

Data: 20.10.2020

Show data

2005 [%]

2010 [%]

2016 [%]

Romania

7.37

2.52

3.23

Greece

5.39

3.48

6.80

Bulgaria

5.30

3.42

9.30

Croatia

0

4.96

10.92

Hungary

13.38

14.64

21.27

Spain

10.45

15.33

21.61

Slovakia

14.60

23.79

23.03

Cyprus

6.42

5.71

27.48

United Kingdom

23.22

22.78

30.62

Malta

0.45

9.82

31.15

Lithuania

30.90

30.01

38.64

Estonia

32.90

36.51

39.76

Poland

38.50

45.94

44.75

Sweden

33.56

30.89

45.12

Austria

48.07

48.04

46.12

Latvia

34.06

38.52

46.78

Belgium

47.73

47.82

48.22

Slovakia

11.81

12.03

48.41

Ireland

30.69

31.01

49.75

Slovenia

27.98

35.65

49.89

Finland

40.61

43.98

51.44

Denmark

44.45

49.08

53.38

Czechia

44.71

56.65

57.22

France

54.34

50.32

63.27

Luxembourg

55.92

60.45

63.96

Germany

68.47

68.58

65.38

Netherlands

71.47

71.18

78.34

Italy

11.22

95.03

97.55

Figure KM07-6: Share of rural population in the EU–28 countries involved in life-long learnining programmes
Sources: 

EUROSTAT

Chart note: 

Data: 20.10.2020

Show data

2007 [%]

2011 [%]

2016 [%]

Romania

4.50

5.40

5

Greece

9.20

7.10

8.50

Bulgaria

34.60

20.70

15.30

Poland

15.20

18.40

17.90

Lithuania

28.40

20.90

19.20

Croatia

15.40

0

25.10

Spain

27.10

30

35

Malta

0

27.40

36

Italy

18.50

30.80

39.30

EU-28

29

33.60

39.50

Belgium

36.10

29.50

41

Portugal

23.10

38.80

42.10

Czechia

37.70

32

42.50

Slovenia

39.50

33.50

42.80

Estonia

40.50

46.20

43.10

Denmark

39.50

52.60

43.30

Slovakia

39.60

43.90

44.20

Latvia

32.10

30.40

44.60

Finland

47.80

49.70

45.90

Luxembourg

0

70.70

47.20

Cyprus

34.60

39.70

47.70

United Kingdom

49.90

42.10

48

Ireland

0

20.60

48.90

France

31.40

47.40

49.20

Hungary

8.10

38.50

52.10

Germany

47.50

51.10

53.50

Sweden

72.20

64.50

58.60

Netherlands

41.30

54.40

59.20

Austria

37.30

46

59.30


Goals

Improving the educational structure on agricultural holdings remains one of the key goals of Slovenian agricultural policy. The knowledge and skills of holders on agricultural holdings are crucial for development success, and support measures will continue to be geared towards meeting the conditions of appropriate education or training. More emphasis will be placed on directing future operators to obtain formal forms of education. In the field of agricultural public goods, there is a need for constant awareness, training and education of stakeholders, which ensure the protection of natural resources and ecosystem services.


The educational structure of farmers on Slovenian agricultural holdings is quite unfavourable. According to the data from agricultural census in the year 2000, there were 86,336 farmers in Slovenia. As many as 72,440 (85.8%) had no formal agricultural education and only had practical experience with agriculture, a further 7,045 (8.3%) completed basic courses in agriculture, and 4,982 (5.9%) had formal agricultural education. In the year 2016, when the last sample survey of the structure of agricultural holdings was carried out, the number of holders decreased to 69,671, and their educational structure improved significantly. The share of farmers with only practical experience in agriculture decreased to 50.2%.

According to the data from the sample survey from 2016, the educational structure of farmers between different age groups is improving. Compared to the data from 2005, the number of farmers with only practical experience in agriculture in the age group up to 35 years decreased by more than a third (37.1%), while the number of farmers with basic and complete agricultural education increased by 43,1 %. The situation is similar in the age group over 65, where the number of those who have only practical experience in agriculture decreased by more than a third (33.9%), while the number of farmers with basic and complete agricultural education increased by as much as 66.7 %.

Under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 for Slovenia, the sub-measure Support for Vocational Training and Skills Acquisition Activities is being implemented. This sub-measure is intended for training courses required at the time of entry or at the time measure-related obligations are fulfilled for different sub-measures, such as: agri-environment-climate payment, organic farming and animal welfare. Training is also provided in the field of marketing and processing of agricultural products and occupational safety in forests. Trainings are also provided for young farmers, who are a specific target group. In the period 2015-2020, 68,476 participants attended education and training. The majority of participants attended training in the field of organic farming (26.7%) and animal welfare (26.4%), followed by young farmers, with 18.4%.

In the year 2016, 42.8% of the rural population was included in lifelong learning programs, which is a good 3 percentage points more than in 2007. This is slightly better than the average in the EU-28 countries, where lifelong learning programs are included and training in rural areas involved 39.0% of the rural population. In Romania and Greece, this share was less than 10 %, while in Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden, almost 60% of the rural population was involved in lifelong learning programs.