Total Farm Incomes Up 13%

Defra released the first estimates of total income from farming (TIFF) recently and it is reported to have risen by £708m or 13% in real terms between 2012 and 2013 to £5,464m. In terms of annual work units (AWU) of entrepreneurial labour the increase was 15% in real terms to £28,426 in 2013. The difference is due to a decline in the numbers of farmers and other unpaid workers.

Key contributors to the increase were milk by £505m, potatoes by £210m, and barley by £199m. The increases were offset by a decrease in value of oilseeds of £245m and an increase in the cost of animal feed of £740m.

Agriculture's contribution to GDP measures as gross value added at basic price increased by 7% or £604m to £9,222m. Intermediate consumption increased by £892m to £16,492m mainly due to an increase in the price of animal feed an additional increase in the value of seed. There was a reduction in the number of employees but a small increase in pay of £23m to compensate. The total compensation of employees in 2013 was £2,379m.

Compared to 1994 total income from farming per AWU of entrepreneurial labour has increased by 10% compared to a 15% fall in total income from farming.

June Survey Results From DEFRA

The preliminary estimates of the June Agricultural and Horticultural Survey of the UK for 2009 have been published by DEFRA. The final results will be published later in the year but the preliminary results still give a good estimation of trends in land use, crop areas and livestock.

Agricultural land areas in the UK have increased by 2% since June 2008 and the total croppable area is now 6.2 million hectares. Of the 36% of agricultural land that is considered croppable about half is under cereals, another 20% is temporary grassland. Unused arable land, including bare fallow and GAEC12 land, has increased by 25% to 244,000 hectares.

Arable returns show that the estimated total cereal cropping area in the UK has decreased by 5% to 3.1 million hectares since last year. Wheat accounts for 1.8 million hectares or 70% of cereals, 14% lower than last year and barley, which accounts for 1.15 million hectares, is 12% higher at 26%. The area of land under potatoes has increased again this year by 3.4% to 1.48 million hectares. Oilseeds continue to decrease in area, now at 6.02 million hectares, a 3.4% change on last year. Other field crops have shown a 21.3% increase in area to 6.39 million hectares largely due to large increases in the area of field beans, peas and maize.

Pease and beans have decreased in area to 403,000 hectares but all other vegetables and salads have increased in total area to 814,000 hectares.

National livestock herd sizes of cattle, sheep and pigs have decreased since June 2008. The total number of cattle and calves has decreased by 0.8% to slightly more than 10 million, the breeding herd has decreased by 3% to 3.5 million due to decreases of 3% in both the beef herd and in the dairy herd to 1.6 and 1.9 million respectively. Pigs decreased by 2% from June 2008 to 4.6 million. Breeding sows numbered 440,000, up 5%. The total number of sheep and lambs decreased by 4% to 31.8 million. There were 14.8 million breeding ewes, a decrease of 5% and other sheep and lambs decreased by 3% to 17 million.