What farmers earned in 2025

Agricultural economist Harold van der Meulen describes 2025 as “a turbulent year” for Dutch farming sectors. “Avian influenza, for example, continues to cause major concern in poultry farming. China has also introduced a high import tariff on pork, which triggered a sharp price drop for pig producers. Greenhouse horticulture is struggling with rising energy prices and higher production costs.”

The overall picture is nevertheless positive. The average gross farm income per unpaid annual work unit (AWU), meaning per worker contributing 2,000 hours or more a year, is estimated at 129,000 euros. This is 11,000 euros more than the average income in 2024 and 30,000 euros above the average for the period 2020–2024.

On this infographic you will find three columns. The first column shows the average income in agriculture and horticulture in 2025, which amounts to €129,000. This represents an increase of €11,000, or 9 percent, compared with 2024. The figure refers to income from the farm business per unpaid annual work unit. The data for 2025 are based on estimates. The second column presents the largest income changes in 2025. Shown in green are laying hens at +€235,000 and flower bulbs at +€168,000, while shown in red are pigs at -€89,000 and greenhouse vegetables at -€76,000. The third column highlights the dairy farming sector. A graph shows fluctuating incomes between 2021 and 2025, ranging from €45,000 to €121,000, then down to €64,000 and €74,000, and rising again to €120,000. The price of milk increased by 9 percent, the price of compound feed fell by 8 percent, and the cost of manure disposal rose by 28 percent.

Flower bulb growers are closing the year with strong results. Favourable market prices have enabled them to achieve an average income of €440,000 per AWU. Cut flower producers also performed well and again recorded an above average income of €372,000 per AWU. Dairy farmers benefit from higher milk and livestock prices, pushing their average income up to €120,000 per AWU. The same applies to organic dairy farmers, whose average income reaches €90,000 per AWU.

In pig farming, the picture is reversed. Income per AWU falls from €259,000 in 2024 to €171,000 in 2025. This decline is caused by a deteriorating export position and a saturated European market. Income in arable farming also decreases in 2025, dropping to an average of €60,000 per AWU due to lower prices resulting from favourable growing conditions in Northwest Europe and beyond, which led to higher yields for many crops. Slightly rising costs exacerbate this decline.

Avian influenza continues to have serious consequences for some poultry farms, yet others benefit from the situation. Egg prices have risen by an average of 20 percent due to scarcity. Demand for eggs remains strong and global supply is tight, allowing many laying hen farmers to achieve high earnings, on average about € 575.000 per AWU. Growing demand for poultry meat also results in healthy incomes for broiler producers.

According to Van der Meulen, the average income in agriculture and horticulture exceeds € 100,000 per unpaid AWU for the fourth consecutive year, which shows that the sector as a whole is performing well financially. At the same time, he observes widening disparities between and within sectors, creating a more fragmented picture. The greatest challenge remains persistent policy uncertainty. “Even if you have the resources to invest, you do not currently know what to invest in,” he says. “That uncertainty makes planning for the future very difficult.”

Alongside the income forecast from Wageningen Social & Economic Research, Statistics Netherlands (CBS), in collaboration with Wageningen Social & Economic Research, presents the macroeconomic figures for agriculture and horticulture. You can read the CBS report here.

• Sector forecast
• Anual Prices
• Business type income estimate