French bovine-meat farms at the beginning of the new Common Agricultural Policy[Les exploitations d’élevage bovin-viande en France au début de la nouvelle PAC]

Using a constant three-year sample of the Farm Accounting Data Network, the authors measure, between 1991 and 1993, the adjustments implemented and the changes in the economic results of the 42,150 French farms specialized in "cattle breeding and meat". After an approach based on average trends in this orientation, an analysis of the differentiated effects is carried out according to the livestock density per hectare, the level of economic performance and the technical system of livestock farming. This complementary study of the qualitative surveys which are also carried out highlights several phenomena. The average level of livestock density per hectare in France remains stable for this first year, since the increasing of surface area carried out have been balanced, on short run, by anticipations aimed at maximizing the potential of "rights to subsidies" for suckler cows. While direct subsidies play a decisive role in the income formation of all beef and veal farmers, the mechanisms of the CAP reform have a differentiated impact, favouring low-cattle density farms. The existence of significant differences in economic performance between cattle farms, which has not radically changed with the reform of the CAP, raises questions about the resilience of the most vulnerable farms facing decrease in prices.