No statistics directly indicate the number of young farmers entering agriculture in France. The survey carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture based on data from farm credit cooperatives has provided figures on these establishments and shows their complexity : different age groups, types of farms and general conditions. Between 1975and 1978, 15 000 out of 37 000 new farmers per year were young farmers subsidised by the state; 7000 had a second activity and 8 000 were mescellaneous (inheritance between husband and wife, pensioner
