Belgium has lost half of its farms in 30 years

The number of farms in Belgium continues to decline year on year, with the country having lost half of its farms in the last 30 years.

Belgium had 33,307 farms in 2025, a 2% decrease over the previous year, according to the latest key figures from Statbel, continuing a trend that has been ongoing for several decades. In 1997, the country had more than 67,000 farms.

At the same time, the size of farms has continued to increase. Since 1980, their average area has more than tripled from 12.5 hectares to 40.3 hectares in 2025.

The area of land used for agriculture covered 1.343 million hectares in 2025, a relatively stable figure compared to 1980’s 1.418 million hectares.

There are differences by region. Wallonia had 12,161 farms in 2025, Flanders 21,069 and Brussels 77.

The first two regions saw the number of farms on their territory fall by 2% last year compared with 2024.

On average, farms are twice as large in Wallonia (59.7 hectares) as in Flanders (29.1 hectares).

Last year, half of farms were involved in livestock farming, according to Statbel. Poultry and pigs are mainly concentrated in Flanders, while farms in Wallonia focus on cattle.

Another major trend in the agricultural sector is the ageing of farm owners. Almost six in 10 farm managers (57%) are aged 55 or over, and only 7% are under 35 in Belgium, according to figures from 2023.

The farmers that remain in Belgium are facing difficult times, with drought and successive heatwaves taking a heavy toll on crops.

Yields are falling and irrigation is becoming increasingly necessary.

Laurent Limbort, a farmer in Tourinne, Liège province, showed RTBF some examples of his crops, including beans whose pods are not producing as much as they should.

Limbort’s plot was expected to yield seven tonnes per hectare but the farmer is now only expecting two and a half to three tonnes because two heatwaves struck in the middle of the flowering period.

The same is true of the organic wheat intended for bread-making: yields are down by 15 to 20%.

“These grains should all be round, not shrivelled like this, they’ve been scorched by the sun before they were fully ripe,” said Limbort, adding that drought is stunting the growth of young plants.

“The top five centimetres of soil are dry, despite 25 litres of water per square metre being applied last week. The moisture has already been completely absorbed or has evaporated.”

Limbort has already irrigated eight times this year, compared with three times last year. Each irrigation session costs him between €200 and €250 per hectare.

Potatoes and carrots are also at risk as a result of dry surface soil, which can force the vegetables to grow longer in order to reach water further down.

For all other crops, the situation is the same: lower yields mean less income for the farmer and, ultimately, more expensive food for the consumer.

It will not be until August and September that the true impact of the heatwave is measurable.