Investment grants in agriculture – Evaluation of the concept, costs and effectiveness

Federal Office for Agriculture

Key facts

The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) conducted an evaluation of the concept, costs and impact of structural measures for agriculture. These measures include investment grants in the form of interest-free investment credits from federal funds (working capital) and non-repayable contributions from the Confederation and the cantons. In 2013, federal expenditure on this was CHF 139 million or 3.75% of the expenditure on agriculture and food. The evaluation concentrated on the sub-segment of the single farm investment grants in non-residential buildings from 2003 to 2013. It was based on the corresponding enforcement database, on accounting data from selected farms and on a farm manager survey.