This dashboard presents a range of key statistics on farming and its environmental impacts. It is structured in the same way as the publication Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023 and complements the information published in that report.
The evidence and narrative presented here are based on the latest available data at the time that Agriculture in the UK was published. The majority of data is for the 2023 calendar year but in some cases data is for earlier years where more recent data is unavailable.
This dashboard will next be updated in the summer of 2025, with data for the 2024 calendar year.
If you have any questions about this dashboard, please contact us at AUK_stats_team@defra.gov.uk.
Why is agriculture so important?
UK agriculture provides 62% of the food we eat, employs almost half a million people and is a key part of the food and drink sector. In 2023, farmers and land managers managed 70% of the UK’s land, and through them we can safeguard our natural environment and ensure the highest standards of animal and plant health. In 2023, agriculture contributed around 0.6% to the United Kingdom’s economy.
This Agriculture in the UK dashboard brings together existing statistics on agriculture to summarise the current state of the agricultural industry.
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All data presented in this dashboard can be used in accordance with the Open Government Licence.
July 2024 Published with 2023 data.
The Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) is the total area taken up by arable and horticultural crops, uncropped arable land, land for outdoor pigs, temporary and permanent grassland, and common rough grazing. Total UAA has remained between 17 million and 18 million hectares since 2000.
Total croppable area consists of cereals, oilseed, potatoes, other arable crops, horticultural crops, uncropped arable land and temporary grass. The total croppable area has remained between 6.0 million and 6.5 million hectares since 2000.
Source: The latest ‘Structure of the Agricultural Industry’ statistics can be found via the following pages on GOV.UK:
The varied topography and climate of England means that some sectors are more concentrated in some regions than others. For example:
Warm summers and flat land makes the East suitable for cropping. 26% of England’s arable crops are grown in the East of England.
The warm, wet climate and gentler hills of the west of England make it suitable for dairy farming. 34% of England’s cattle are farmed in the South West.
Sheep are commonly farmed in hillier areas, particularly where cool summers and high rainfall are unsuitable for growing crops. 21% of England’s sheep herd is in the North West and 20% is in the the South West.
Pig farming is concentrated close to where the feed is produced. 40% of England’s pigs are reared in Yorkshire and the Humber and an additional 28% are reared in the East of England. Together these two regions account for 68% of England’s pig population.
Poultry can be reared indoors and requires less land compared to other types of farming. Therefore, poultry farming is less dependent on environmental factors such as climate, altitude or soil type, so is less geographically constrained.
Source: The latest ‘Structure of the Agricultural Industry’ statistics can be found via the following pages on GOV.UK:
Across England, many farms undertake more than one type of farming, and so farms are classified according to their main output within one of nine main farm types: general cropping, cereals, mixed, horticulture, poultry, pigs, dairy, grazing livestock - lowland, and grazing livestock - less favoured area (LFA).
Notes:
In 2023 there were a total of 102 thousand holdings in England.
In 2023 the total area of farmed agricultural land in England was 9.0 million hectares.
The holdings by sector chart shows the number of holdings per sector and the percentage of the total number of farms that represents in England.
The area of land used by sector type shows the total area of farmed land in million hectares per sector and the percentage of total farmed land that represents.
In 2023 the area of unclassified land was 6,177 hectares, representing 0.07% of agricultural land. Owing to it’s small size, this data is not shown in the figure.
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Source: The latest data on the structure of the agricultural industry in England can be found on GOV.UK.
In 2023:
The number of people working on UK farms was 462 thousand people.
In the UK, 65% (299 thousand) of the total labour force were farmers, business partners, directors and spouses and 35% (163 thousand) were regular employees, salaried managers and casual workers.
England employed 292 thousand people, Wales employed 50 thousand people, Scotland employed 67 thousand people, and Northern Ireland employed 53 thousand people.
The size of the UK agricultural labour force has remained relatively stable over the past thirteen years, ranging between 462 and 481 thousand people since 2010.
Source: The latest statistics on the size of the Agricultural Workforce can be found on GOV.UK.
Notes:
The average size of the UK’s farms was 82 hectares while the average size of England’s farms was 88 hectares.
24% of England’s holdings were large farms (farms over 100 hectares), but made up 75% of the farmed area.
39% of England’s holdings were small farms (farms under 20 hectares), but made up 3.6% of its farmed area.
Compared to other regions, the North East had the greatest proportion (36%) of large farms (farms over 100 hectares), which cover 86% of its farmed area. This could be due to the high proportion of less favoured area grazing farms which require a large area for grazing.
The most common size class for farms in England was 5 to under 20 hectares (26% of farms).
The Cereals farm type covered the largest proportion (34%) of England’s farmed area at 3.0 million hectares. The East of England region contains the largest area of this farm type (744 thousand hectares), covering 53% of the region’s farmed area.
Source: The latest ‘Structure of the Agricultural Industry’ statistics can be found via the following pages on GOV.UK:
In Great Britain in 2022/23:
Average Farm Business Income was £85,900 per farm.
41% of farms had a Farm Business Income of £50,000 or more.
17% of farms had a Farm Business Income of less than zero.
What is Farm Business Income?
Farm Business Income is the preferred measure when comparing across farm types. It represents the return to all unpaid labour (farmers, spouses and others with an entrepreneurial interest in the farm business) and to all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and farm buildings. Farm Business Income is largely the same as Net Profit, which is a widely used standard financial accounting measure of income.
The estimates of Farm Business Income are averages. Please note that across different regions and farm types, some farmers receive considerably more or less than these averages.
Note:
The latest data on Farm Business Income in England can be found in the Farm Business Income statistical release.
Additional data and analysis from the Farm Business Survey are also available on GOV.UK.
In Great Britain in 2022/23:
What is Net Farm Income?
Net Farm Income is a narrower measure of income than Farm Business Income. It is net of an imputed rent on owned land and an imputed cost for unpaid labour (apart from farmer and spouse). Net Farm Income is intended as a consistent measure of the profitability of tenant-type farming which allows farms of different business organisation, tenure and indebtedness to be compared.
As with Farm Business Income, the estimates of Net Farm Income are averages and some farmers will receive considerably more or less than these averages depending on regions and farm types.
Note:
The latest data on Net Farm Income can be found in the Farm Business Income statistical release.
Additional data and analysis from the Farm Business Survey are also available on GOV.UK.
In Great Britain in 2022/23:
What is Cash Income?
Cash Income is the difference between total revenue and total expenditure. It represents the cash return to the group with an entrepreneurial interest in the business (e.g. farmers, their spouses and family workers, and non-principal partners and directors) for their manual and managerial labour and on all their investment in the business.
These estimates of cash income are averages. It should be noted that across different regions and farm types, some farmers receive considerably more or less than these averages.
Note:
The latest data on Cash Income can be found in the Farm Business Income statistical release.
Additional data and analysis from the Farm Business Survey are also available on GOV.UK.
In 2023 Total Income from Farming (TIFF) in the UK was £7.2 bn. TIFF is the income to those who own businesses within the agricultural industry. It is the total profit from all UK farming businesses on a calendar year basis. It measures the return to all entrepreneurs for their management, inputs, labour and capital invested.
TIFF is calculated as follows:
\[ {\text{TIFF = GVA - WRIT - Depreciation of Assets + Subsidies}} \]
Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (not adjusted for inflation) which was £13.7 bn in 2023. This represents agriculture’s contribution to the UK economy (0.6% of GDP). GVA is calculated as gross output less intermediate consumption (see the production and consumption page for more details).
Minus wages, rent, interest and tax (WRIT), which had a total value of £4.2 bn in 2023.
Minus depreciation of assets, which was £5.1 bn in 2023. Depreciation of assets represents the reduction in value of assets, such as vehicles and equipment, on the farm.
Plus subsidies, which had a value of £2.9 bn in 2023. Subsidies are payments made to those undertaking agricultural activity. Historically the largest subsidy payment has been the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). For more information on subsidies, see the pages on public payments.
Note:
All values on this page are provided in current prices, which is considered the most intuitive approach for comparisons over a short time period.
See Public Payments for a detailed breakdown of subsidies payments.
The latest UK TIFF publication can be found on GOV.UK.
The values on this page are presented in real terms, meaning they have been adjusted for inflation, which allows more meaningful comparisons between years over the longer term.
2022 had the highest TIFF in real terms since 2000 with a value of £8.6 billion.
Income can be volatile with year-on-year increases and decreases of over 40% in the last 20 years.
What are the key influences on Total Income from Farming?
Exchange rate: A weak pound is generally good for farming as UK agricultural goods become more competitive on the world market and imports become more expensive.
External shocks: Events disrupting production in other countries can cause shortages which influence world commodity prices, impacting on the domestic market. For example: war, drought, global pandemics etc.
Production: Volumes of outputs are relatively constant, but the price farmers receive for what they produce varies considerably. As a result incomes can rise and fall annually by up to 50%. Price changes can be driven by a variety of factors, such as external shocks, inflation etc.
Direct payments: Historically, £/€ exchange rate affected income from Direct Payments, which was calculated in Euros. A weakening of the pound against the Euro increased the value of subsidy payments paid in pounds sterling.
The latest data for this page can be found in the UK TIFF publication on GOV.UK.
In 2023, Gross Value Added (GVA) was £13.7 bn. GVA represents agriculture’s contribution to the UK economy. It is calculated as gross output less intermediate consumption.
The total economic activity (gross output) in the production of new agricultural goods and services in the UK was £34.8 bn in 2023.
The largest contributions to gross output are crop and livestock output.
In 2023, the largest contributions to livestock output were from meat production at 57%, and milk production at 31% of total livestock output.
Cereal production was the largest contribution to crop output, making up 37% of the total crop output in 2023.
In 2023, intermediate consumption in the UK was £21.1 bn. Intermediate consumption is the goods and services used as inputs in the productive process, e.g. feed, energy and fertilisers.
Animal feed is the largest cost facing farmers, making up 37% of the value of intermediate consumption.
Note:
All values on this page are provided in current prices, which is considered the most intuitive approach for comparisons over a short time period.
To improve clarity “FISIM” (Financial Intermediary Services Indirectly Measured) has been renamed “Bank charges” (see intermediate consumption figure).
The latest data for these charts can be found in the UK TIFF publication on GOV.UK.
In 2022:
Total Income from Farming in England was £5.7 billion.
The net contribution from agriculture in England to the UK economy was £10.4 billion.
England contributed 71% to Total Income from Farming in the UK.
The top three agricultural outputs in England were: Milk (£4.1 billion), Wheat (£3.7 billion) and Poultry (£2.6 billion).
In 2022, the East of England had the highest TIFF at £1,094 million, and the North East had the lowest TIFF at £258 million.
Note:
The latest data for TIFF in England
The latest data for TIFF in the Regions of England.
In 2023:
Total Factor Productivity (TFP) was 159.6. This is an increase of 60% since 1973.
Outputs were 131.8. Since 1973 outputs have increased by 32%.
Inputs were 82.6. Inputs have decreased by 17% since 1973.
What is TFP?
TFP is a measure of how well inputs are converted into outputs, giving an indication of the efficiency and competitiveness of the agricultural industry.
Productivity improves if the same use of inputs produces a larger volume of output, or if the same volume of output is achieved from a smaller volume of inputs.
TFP is an index, which measures a relative change compared to a reference point or base year, which is given a value of 100. For TFP, the base year is set as 1973, which is the earliest year in the data set.
How has TFP changed over time?
Despite some annual variability, the long-term trend is one of slow but overall improvement in TFP.
Before the mid 1980s, growth in TFP was driven by increases in the volume of output (25% increase). Total input use increased by only 1%.
Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s there was little change in either the volume of inputs or outputs.
From the mid-1990s to mid-2000s, TFP growth was driven by reductions in input use rather than increases in outputs.
From the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, TFP grew more slowly as increased outputs were offset by a slow increase in inputs.
In the 2020s, TFP has grown owing to reductions in the use of inputs while outputs have remained fairly stable.
The latest TFP data can be found on GOV.UK.
In 2023:
Productivity by labour was 256.4. Since 1973 productivity by labour has increased by 156%.
Productivity by intermediate consumption was 137.4. Since 2020, there has been an increase in productivity by intermediate consumption of 8.8%.
What is partial productivity?
Partial productivity shows the impact key inputs have on productivity. It measures total outputs against a part of the inputs.
Why is labour productivity important?
Labour is the key input driving productivity gains. With productivity from land, intermediate consumption and capital consumption showing much lower increases over time.
Labour volumes are now approximately half of what they were in 1973. This reduction in labour has led to a steady increase in labour productivity over the whole period from 1973. However, more recent growth in labour productivity is due to increased output rather than a reduction in labour volume.
Why has productivity by intermediate consumption increased since 2020?
Since 2020, the cost of many farm inputs have increased dramatically. Consequently, farmers are using a lower volume of inputs while attempting to maximise yield, resulting in a sharp increase in productivity by intermediate consumption.
The latest figures on partial productivity can be found on GOV.UK.
In 2023 labour productivity in agriculture, forestry and fishing was £25.31 per hour, £13.33 per hour lower than labour productivity of the whole economy, which was £38.64 per hour.
What is labour productivity?
Labour productivity is a measure of average output per unit of labour. It is calculated as:
\[ {\text{Total Output (by volume or value)} \over \text{Total Volume of Labour Inputs}} \]
Labour productivity is lower for agriculture than for many other sectors of the UK economy.
This is likely a result of the relatively high hours worked in the agricultural sector, with workers on average working for 41 hours per week compared to the economy-wide average of 32.
Sources: Office for National Statistics: Output per hour worked, UK dataset
Office for National Statistics:Average hours worked by industry
The input series reflects the price farmers pay for goods and services. The series can be split into two groups:
The input series uses the Agricultural Price Index (API) which tracks changes in the price of agricultural inputs and outputs over time.
A price index is a way of measuring relative price changes compared to a reference point or base year which is given a value of 100. The base year and the basket of goods used to calculate the index are updated every five years to reflect changing market trends.
The commodities displayed here are a selection based on those with the largest contribution to the change in the agricultural inputs annual inflation rate between 2022 and 2023.
The latest API can be found on GOV.UK.
The output series reflects the price farmers receive for their products, also referred to as farm gate price.
Information is collected for all major crops (for example wheat and potatoes) and livestock and animal products (for example sheep, milk and eggs).
A lot of what determines output prices are outside of the farmers control. For example, increased global supply, changing consumer tastes and weather patterns are key external price determinants, particularly in heavily traded sectors like cereals.
The output series uses the Agricultural Price Index (API) which tracks changes in the price of agricultural inputs and outputs over time.
A price index is a way of measuring relative price changes compared to a reference point or base year which is given a value of 100. The base year and the basket of goods used to calculate the index are updated every five years to reflect changing market trends.
The commodities displayed here are a selection based on those with the largest contribution to the change in the agricultural outputs annual inflation rate between 2022 and 2023.
The latest API can be found on GOV.UK.
The figure shows the total value of output in £ billion. Percentages represent percentage of the total output value from both crops and livestock.
For livestock, ‘Other’ is the value of animals going into the breeding herd/flock and other livestock products (e.g. wool).
For crops, ‘Other crop products’ includes forage plants and other crop products, including seeds.
To download this chart, right click and use the “save image as”
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For more information on the value of agricultural production, see the latest Agriculture in the UK, Horticulture Statistics and Total Income from Farming in the UK.
In 2022:
Livestock production was the main output in the North West and South West.
Crop production was the main output in the East Midlands, East of England, and South East (incl. London).
In the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and West Midlands, output from crops and livestock was more balanced.
Note:
For more information on the value of agricultural outputs for different regions, see the Total Income from Farming for the Regions of England on GOV.UK.
In 2023
Intermediate consumption costs were £21.1 billion, a decrease of -9.2% from 2022.
The price of oil was $82 per barrel, a decrease of -18% from 2022.
The cost of energy was £1.9 billion, a decrease of -7.4% from 2022.
Cost for fertilisers were £1.4 billion, a decrease of -33% from 2022.
The total cost for animal feed was £7.8 billion, a decrease of -11% from 2022.
What drives the cost of inputs?
Intermediate consumption is the goods and services used in the production process, e.g. feed, energy and fertilisers.
The cost of energy has a large impact on many of the key costs facing farmers, including fertilisers. Energy costs typically follow a similar pattern to that of the crude oil price.
Natural gas is used in the process of manufacturing nitrogen fertilisers and its price is closely linked to the price of oil. Consequently, if the price of oil rises so does the cost of producing fertiliser.
Animal feed is the largest item of expenditure in the Total Income from Farming account and is often double the value of the second greatest cost (see the production and consumption page for more details).
More data on costs facing farmers can be found in the ‘Total Income from Farming in the UK’ publication on GOV.UK.
Notes:
With the exception of oil price, all values are presented in real terms (adjusted for inflation) which allows for more meaningful comparisons over longer time-scales.
Compound feed is when a mixture of different items such as grains, oilseeds, meals, pulses etc are mixed together in different proportions to suit specific livestock or poultry types. They are a “complete” feed package for a given requirement.
Straights are feeds fed on their own without additions such as minerals, proteins and vitamins. Examples of straight feed would be feed wheat, oats barley, etc.
What are Direct Payments?
Direct Payments are support payments made to agricultural producers. How much money a farmer receives will depend on the amount of agricultural land they maintain and the individual schemes they subscribe to. The largest element of the payment has historically been the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). Direct Payments were funded predominantly by the EU as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
How are Direct Payments changing?
In 2021, agricultural support payments began to change following the UK’s departure from the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). All BPS payments are now funded by the UK exchequer and includes young farmer and redistributive payments.
Existing schemes under rural development programmes will continue to be co-funded from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) until 2024 or until remaining funds are depleted, whichever is sooner.
Payments previously made under the CAP will gradually be replaced by payments from the devolved governments. Agricultural domestic support will be administered through new schemes introduced in each country, and will generally be targeted at improving agri-environmental performance, such as England’s Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS).
What are agri-environment schemes?
Agri-environment schemes provide an incentive to farmers to adopt land management and farm practices that are beneficial to the environment.
How is the adoption of agri-environment schemes changing?
Agri-environment schemes will continue to become an increasingly important funding stream for UK farmers due to the UK’s departure from the EU Common Agricultural Policy in 2021.
The take-up of agri-environment schemes is shown by the total number of agri-environment agreements in place and the total area of land under these agreements.
Due to the differing requirements of schemes, care should be taken when making comparisons. Fluctuations in areas and numbers occur as old schemes expire and new schemes begin.
What are Pillar 2 Common Agricultural Policy payments?
Pillar 2 payments are designed to support rural areas to meet a wide range of economic, environmental and societal challenges. Unlike Pillar 1 payments (which include Direct Payments), they are flexible to enable regional, national and local authorities to formulate their own rural development programmes within the bounds of EU measures. Programmes are co-financed by EU funds and regional or national funds.
How are Pillar 2 Common Agricultural Policy payments changing?
Since the UK’s departure from the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), pillar 2 payments will be co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development until 2024, or until funds are depleted.
Data are presented by European Union agricultural financial years and shown in Euros.
What is General Services Support?
The UK Government and Devolved Administrations fund general services that benefit the sector as a whole, such as agricultural research and pest and disease control. They do not include payments to individual producers.
Agriculture accounts for around 12% of greenhouse gases in the UK.
Three greenhouse gases emitted by agriculture are nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide.
Total amounts of nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide have reduced since 1990, however this is mainly due to reductions in non-agricultural sources. Therefore, whilst agriculture has seen reductions in emissions of nitrous oxide and methane, they now account for a larger proportion of total emissions.
Agriculture is also responsible for a large proportion of the UK’s ammonia emissions, which impact on air quality and subsequently human and animal health.
Follow these links for more information on UK greenhouse gas emissions (BEIS) and Ammonia emissions (Defra)
In 2022, agriculture was responsible for 70% of the UK’s total nitrous oxide emissions.
In 2022 nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture are estimated to have fallen by approximately 23% since 1990.
The main sources of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions in the UK are sourced from agricultural soils, particularly as a result of nitrogen fertiliser application, manure (both applied and excreted on pasture) and leaching/run off. Reductions in emissions is mainly due to more efficient fertiliser use.
Whilst agriculture is now responsible for almost three quarters of emissions in the UK, nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture have stayed relatively stable over time, but reduced in other sectors. This means that agriculture now accounts for a larger proportion of emissions.
mtCO2e = million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
Note: Data for greenhouse gas emissions are revised each year to take account of methodological improvements in the UK emissions inventory.
Follow this link for more information on UK greenhouse gas emissions (BEIS)
In 2022, agriculture was responsible for 49% of the UK’s total methane emissions.
In 2022, methane emissions from agriculture are estimated to have fallen by approximately 15% since 1990.
The majority of methane emissions from agriculture arise from enteric fermentation (digestive processes) in ruminating animals, with manure management practices accounting for the remainder. Reductions in emissions are mainly as a result of decreasing livestock numbers, particularly in cattle.
Whilst agriculture is now responsible for around half of all methane emissions in the UK, methane emissions from agriculture have stayed relatively stable over time, but reduced in other sectors. This means that agriculture now accounts for a larger proportion of emissions.
mtCO2e = million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
Note: Data for greenhouse gas emissions are revised each year to take account of methodological improvements in the UK emissions inventory.
Follow this link for more information on UK greenhouse gas emissions (BEIS)
In 2022, agriculture was responsible for 2% of the UK’s total carbon dioxide emissions.
Agriculture’s emissions of carbon dioxide have remained low since 1990 and account for a small proportion of total emissions. Whilst the proportion of carbon dioxide emissions related to agriculture are low, levels increased in 2004, where they have since fluctuated but remained at similar levels.
mtCO2e = million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
Note: Data for greenhouse gas emissions are revised each year to take account of methodological improvements in the UK emissions inventory.
Follow this link for more information on UK greenhouse gas emissions (BEIS)
In 2022, agriculture was responsible for 87% of the UK’s total ammonia emissions.
In 2022 ammonia emissions from agriculture are estimated to have fallen by approximately 19% since 1990.
The main sources of ammonia emissions in the UK are agricultural soils from fertiliser use and livestock, in particular cattle. The fall in emissions since 1990 is due to long-term reductions in cattle numbers and more efficient fertiliser use.
Emissions have generally fluctuated since 2010, in part driven by annual variations in weather conditions affecting crop planting and fertiliser use, as well as energy prices affecting the use of fertilisers.
Follow this link for more information on Ammonia emissions (Defra)
Plant protection products (pesticides) are used to regulate growth and to manage pests, weeds, and diseases in crops. They play a major role in maintaining high crop yields and therefore greater production from agricultural land. However, they can have detrimental impacts on the environment, particularly on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity.
In absolute terms, there has been little change in total pesticide usage since 2010 (14,205 tonnes in 2010 vs 14,799 tonnes in 2022). Within that time period, however, between 2010 to 2018 there was a gradual increase in the weight of pesticides applied, followed by a substantial drop in usage in 2020, which was partly due to a switch from winter cropping to spring cropping arising from challenging weather conditions in the autumn of 2019.
In 2022, pesticide use climbed upwards but still fell below the levels seen in 2018.
Note: ‘Other pesticides’ refer to chemicals grouped together because they were applied to less than 0.1% of the total area treated with pesticides.
Most agricultural soils do not contain enough naturally occurring plant-available nitrogen to meet the needs of a crop throughout the growing season so supplementary nitrogen applications are needed each year. Nitrogen usually has a large immediate effect on crop growth, yield and quality. Correct rate and timing of applications is important to ensure crop growth requirements are met.
Annual levels of nitrogen application are influenced by fertiliser prices, crop prices, crop type and weather-related issues during the growing season.
In 2022 compared to 2021:
The rate of nitrogen application on cropped land decreased by 12 kg/ha to 118 kg/ha . This is the lowest rate since the time series began.
The rate of nitrogen application on grassland decreased by 17 kg/ha to 34 kg/ha. This was the largest year-on-year change and lowest rate since the time series began.
The rate of nitrogen applied on all crops and grass decreased by 18%.
Between 1990 and 2018 the overall mineral nitrogen application rate on cropped land was largely in the range of 140 - 150 kg/ha, but it has declined in recent years.
For grassland, nutrient application rates have always been lower than for cropped land. Between 1990 and 2022, there has been a downward trend in the overall mineral nitrogen application rate on grassland. The fall in nitrogen use until 2008 is likely to be related in part to decreases in ruminant livestock numbers.
Annual levels of phosphate application are influenced by fertiliser prices, crop prices, crop type and weather-related issues during the growing season.
In 2022 compared to 2021:
The rate of phosphate application on cropped land decreased by 5 kg/ha to 17 kg/ha.
The rate of phosphate application on grassland decreased by 3 kg/ha to 4 kg/ha.
The rate of phosphate applied on all crops and grass decreased by 29%.
In 2022, the total mineral phosphate application rates on all crops and grass were around a quarter of the level seen in 1990 and the were the lowest since the series began.
As with nitrogen, rates applied on grassland have always been less than on cropped land and both have shown an overall downward trend between 1990 and 2022. In recent years the decline had leveled off with similar rates seen since 2012. However, the year-on-year change between 2022 and 2021 for grassland, cropped land, and all crops and grass saw the largest decrease for some years.
Follow this link for more information on Fertiliser usage (Defra)
In 2022 compared to 2021:
The longer-term trend (2022 compared to 2000) shows:
Both nitrogen and phosphorus balances were the lowest since the time series began.
Note: From 2010 data is collected for commercial farms only. Data for 2009 has been presented both for all farms and commercial farms for comparability.
Soil nutrient balances provide an indication of the overall environmental pressure from nitrogen and phosphorus in agricultural soils. They measure the difference between nutrients applied to soils (largely as fertilisers and manures) and those removed from soils by the growth of crops, including grass for fodder and grazing. They give an indication of the potential risk associated with losses of nutrients to the environment, which can impact on air and water quality and on climate change.
The nutrient balances are used as a high-level indicator of farming’s pressure on the environment and how that pressure is changing over time. The balances do not estimate the actual losses of nutrients to the environment, but significant nutrient surpluses are directly linked with losses to the environment.
An increase in the balance per hectare indicates a greater environmental risk from nutrient losses and their associated emissions, whereas a decrease in the balance per hectare broadly indicates a reduced environmental risk. However, there is a risk that nutrient deficits lead to poor soil fertility and subsequent loss of yields.
Follow this link for more information on Soil nutrient balances (Defra)
The UK had a total of 498 thousand hectares of land farmed organically (including both fully organic and land in-conversion).
3% of agricultural land in the UK was organically farmed, while 97% was farmed conventionally.
Land must undergo a conversion process before it can be considered fully organic. In 2023, 7% of organic land was in-conversion, while 93% was fully organic.
What is organic farming?
Organic farming is a method of farming that requires farmers to operate to a system based on ecological principles which impose strict limitations on the inputs that can be used to minimise damage to the environment and wildlife. Emphasis is placed on natural methods of production and pest control.
How is the organic farming data collected?
All foods sold as organic must originate from growers, processors and importers who are registered with an approved certification body and subject to regular inspection. During these inspections, the crop areas and numbers of livestock present on the organic holding are recorded. Due to the nature of the inspections, the data are collected at varying times through the year. The data presented in this chapter therefore do not give an exact snapshot of organic farming at any specific time of year and this should be considered when interpreting the results.
Note:
The latest organic farming statistics can be found on gov.uk
Land use
The main use of organic land was for permanent pasture (incl. rough grazing), at 307 thousand hectares. This represents 3.2% of the total agricultural land used for permanent pasture (incl. rough grazing) in 2023.
The second greatest use of organic land was for temporary pasture, at 91 thousand hectares. This represents 7.3% of the total agricultural land used for temporary pasture in 2023.
Land use for crops
The three main crop types grown organically are cereals, vegetables (including potatoes), and other arable crops.
The area of organic land used to grow cereals was 50 thousand hectares in 2023. This represents 1.6% of all UK agricultural land used to grow cereals in 2023.
The area of organic land used to grow vegetables (including potatoes) was 10 thousand hectares, representing 4.8% of all land used for vegetable growing in 2023.
The area of organic land used to grow other arable crops was 11 thousand hectares in 2023. This represents 0.9% of all land used for growing other arable crops in 2023.
Note:
The specific data used to calculate the percentage of agricultural land used to grow organic crops may not be available in the Structure pages. Consequently, these percentages may not be reproducible.
Some land areas are provided without a crop category or land use description, therefore these are classified as unknown.
The latest organic farming statistics can be found on gov.uk
There were 290 thousand head of organic cattle, making up 3.0% of the total UK herd.
There were 692 thousand head of organic sheep, representing 2.2% of the total UK flock.
There were 23 thousand head of organic pigs, 0.5% of the total UK drove.
There were 4.4 million birds of organic poultry, constituting 2.5% of the total UK population.
Note:
The latest organic farming statistics can be found on gov.uk.
The total number of organic operators decreased by 266 (-4.8%) in 2023, to 5,230.
The number of producers decreased by 92 (-2.8%) in 2023, to 3,193.
The number of processors decreased by 174 (-8.8%) in 2023, to 1,814.
How is the data on organic operators collected?
All foods sold as organic must originate from growers, processors and importers who are registered with an approved certification body and subject to regular inspection. Each year, the certification bodies provide Defra with a complete list of organic operators who are registered with them at 31 December.
The latest organic farming statistics can be found on gov.uk
In 2023:
The total value of exports was £24.4 billion.
The total value of imports was £61.1 billion.
Since 2022:
The value of exports decreased by £3.1 billion (-11%) from £27.5 billion.
The value of imports decreased by £5.9 billion (-8.8%) from £67.0 billion.
Since 2013:
Exports of highly processed foods increased by £1.3 billion in real term value to £14.6 billion.
Exports of lightly processed foods decreased by £0.18 billion to £8.0 billion.
Exports of unprocessed foods increased by £0.04 billion to £1.8 billion.
Imports of highly processed foods increased by £2.9 billion to £24.1 billion.
Imports of lightly processed foods decreased by £2.3 billion to £25.6 billion.
Imports of unprocessed foods increased by £0.61 billion to £11.3 billion.
About trade in food, feed and drink
Trade in food, feed and drink covers a wide range of products from raw agricultural commodities such as potatoes and carrots, and lightly processed foods such as meat and flour, to highly processed products such as confectionery and alcoholic drinks.
Note: All value data on this page are shown in real terms (adjusted for inflation) at 2023 prices.
The latest ‘Overseas Trade’ statistics can be found on GOV.UK
Exports in 2023:
The value of exports to countries in the EU was £14.0 billion.
The value of exports to non-EU countries was £10.4 billion.
Imports in 2023:
The value of imports from countries in the EU was £43.8 billion.
The value of imports from non-EU countries was £17.3 billion.
Since 2013:
The value of exports to the EU has decreased by 7.5%.
The value of imports from the EU has increased by 0.71%.
The value of exports to non-EU countries has increased by 28%.
The value of imports from non-EU countries has increased by 6.2%.
Notes:
All value data on this page are shown in real terms (adjusted for inflation) at 2023 prices.
The exports by country of destination and imports by country of origin charts show the top ten partners only.
The latest ‘Overseas Trade’ statistics can be found on GOV.UK
Exports in 2023:
The highest value sector for exports was drinks, totalling £8.5 billion, a decrease of £1.7 billion from 2022.
Exports of drinks to EU countries totalled £3.0 billion - a decrease of £0.50 billion from 2022.
Exports of drinks to non-EU countries totalled £5.5 billion - a decrease of £1.2 billion from 2022.
Imports in 2023:
The highest value sector for imports was fruit and veg, totalling £13.2 billion, a decrease of £0.44 billion from 2022.
Imports of fruit and veg to EU countries totalled £8.5 billion - a decrease of £0.48 billion from 2022.
Imports of fruit and veg to non-EU countries totalled £4.7 billion - an increase of £0.04 billion from 2022.
Note: All value data on this page are shown in real terms (adjusted for inflation) at 2023 prices.
The latest ‘Overseas Trade’ statistics can be found on GOV.UK
Exports in 2023:
The highest value commodity for UK exports was whisky (£5.8 billion).
The second highest value commodity for UK exports was cheese (£0.82 billion).
The largest volume of exported commodity was wheat (unmilled) (1.2 million tonnes).
Imports in 2023:
The highest value commodity for UK imports was wine (£4.1 billion).
The second highest value commodity for UK imports was fresh fruit (£4.0 billion).
The largest volume of imported commodity was fresh fruit (3.1 million tonnes).
Since 2013:
The exported value of whisky has increased by £0.99 billion.
The imported value of wine has increased by £0.25 billion.
Note: All value data on this page are shown in real terms (adjusted for inflation) at 2023 prices.
The latest ‘Overseas Trade’ statistics can be found on GOV.UK
In 2022, agriculture contributed £13.9bn to the economy.
In 2022, the agri-food sector (excluding fishing) contributed £146.7bn to the economy, 6.5% of the national GVA. Within this:
Agriculture made the smallest contribution, accounting for 9.4%
Retailing accounted for 26%
Catering accounted for 30%
Manufacturing accounted for 24%
Wholesaling accounted for 11%
The food and drink wholesaling sector saw the greatest increase of 31% between 2021 and 2022. All other sectors also increased.
What is GVA? Gross value added (GVA) is the difference between the value of goods and services produced and the cost of raw materials and other inputs which are used in production. It is a way of measuring how much an individual sector contributes to the overall economy.
In 2023, the agri-food sector employed 4.4 million people, or 14% of all employees in Great Britain. This proportion has been broadly the same since 2001. Of the agri-food sector’s labour force in 2022:
Agriculture accounted for 9.6%
Retailing accounted for 26%
Catering accounted for 49%
Manufacturing accounted for 10%
Wholesaling accounted for 5.3%
What is the agri-food sector? The UK food sector is defined as food manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing and non-residential catering (non-residential catering consists of restaurants, bars, canteens and catering services involved in preparation and serving of food. Hotels are not included). The agri-food sector is the food sector plus agriculture and fishing.
In 2023 the food production to supply ratio was estimated to be:
The food production to supply ratio (commonly referred to as the “Self Sufficiency Ratio”), is calculated as:
\[ {\text{Total production (including for export)} \over \text{The total produced + imports - exports}} \]
It provides a very broad indicator of the ability of United Kingdom agriculture to meet consumer demand - also described as competitiveness.
The ratio is not an appropriate measure of “food security” since it fails to account for many dimensions of this complex issue.
In 2023:
Mutton and lamb had the highest food production to supply ratio, at 114%. This shows domestic production more than met consumer demand.
The only other sector to exceed consumer demand was milk, with a food production to supply ratio of 105%.
Fresh fruit had the lowest food production to supply ratio at just 16%. This highlights the need for imports to meet domestic demand.
Food production to supply ratio in 2023 chart
The chart on the right shows some of our most important products, where bar order indicates the production to supply ratios from highest to lowest. Ratios greater than 100% show a surplus of production, which can be due to a significant amount of domestic production and/or imports of this particular good. Ratios below 100% could be a result of lower domestic production, but also could be due to a significant export market for that product.
Food security is enhanced by strong and consistent domestic production of food, combined with a diversity of supply sources, thereby avoiding overreliance on any one source. For some food items, such as bananas, we do not have a suitable climate to grow these effectively and so are more reliant on imports.
What is the food production to supply ratio?
The Food Production to Supply Ratio provides a broad indicator of the ability of UK agriculture to meet domestic consumer demands. Here, food production to supply ratio is calculated using volume, unlike the food production to supply ratio page, which is calculated using value. It is calculated using the following formula:
\[ {\text{Total production (including for export)} \over \text{Total produced + imports - exports}} \]
Why is the food production to supply ratio important?
To have a resilient food chain it is advantageous to have a diverse range of food sources, including imports from a wide range of stable economies. Historically, the UK has been a large net importer of food.
For more information on UK food production to supply ratio, see chapter 14 of Agriculture in the UK.
In 2023:
The value of food, feed and drink exports was £24 billion
The value of food, feed and drink imports was £61 billion
The trade gap (where the cost of imports exceeds the value of exports) in food, feed and drink was £37 billion
Of the food consumed in the UK in 2023:
58% came from the UK.
24% came from the EU.
4% came from Africa.
4% came from South America.
3% came from Asia.
3% came from the Rest of Europe.
3% came from North America.
1% came from Australasia.
Food security
Diversity enhances security. The UK sources foods from diverse stable countries, mainly in Europe. Imports can be used to make up for domestic supply shortages.
In recent years, the food security landscape has changed significantly. Leaving the EU has brought changes in trade, farming, and fishery access, resulting in challenges and opportunities for food security. The impact of climate change on farming and the food chain are also better understood.
The COVID-19 pandemic and other events in 2020 have stress-tested the supply chain, highlighting both the vulnerabilities but also the resilience and flexibility of the UK’s food supply.
The pandemic has also increased public awareness of food security, including the advantages and risks of just-in-time food supplies, and household food insecurity as households struggled to afford food.
A detailed analysis is given in the Defra publication UK Food Security Report
After taking into account the effects of price rises (constant prices), in 2023 compared to 2022:
This chart presents the price index for food and non-alcoholic beverages. The current index uses 2015 as a baseline where the value was 100. The index presents prices as a percentage of this baseline.
Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices fluctuated in 2019 before falling sharply in the second half of 2020. Prices remained low in 2021.
This has been followed by a recent spike from the early part of 2022, due to food prices generally rising faster than other items. This was in part a consequence of the onset of the war in Ukraine leading to global food supply issues and rising energy costs.