« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Section C
Agricultural surveys
Introduction
The Agricultural Census
Each summer the agricultural census is conducted by the
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs
Department. For census purposes farms are classified into
two categories. Main farms are those above a certain
physical or economic size - broadly, those of more than one
hectare, or where the net value of the crops and livestock
is more than about one and two-thirds European Size Units.
Minor farms are those which were below this threshold at
the time of the last classification. The survey of minor
farms is conducted over a 3 year cycle, about one-third
being surveyed each year. In 2004, 26,300 mains farms and
7,900 of the 24,500 minor farms on the department's
register were surveyed. Both the main and minor censuses
collect information on crops, livestock and labour as at
the beginning of June, although the minor survey is less
detailed than the main survey. In addition, a sample survey
(of about 50%) of main farms is carried out in December in
order to provide estimates of winter crops and livestock
maintained for the next breeding season. The information is
collected under the Agriculture Act 1947, and the surveys
are conducted by postal questionnaire.
Shortly before the June 2000 agricultural census was
carried out, a major reclassification of all main and minor
farms in Scotland was undertaken. The net result was that
1,700 farms moved from main to minor. Since 2000 all June
census figures have been published on a main and minor farm
basis, though the statistics shown for the December survey
still relate to main holdings only.
The surveys are conducted for a wide range of purposes.
The statistics help the department to form, monitor and
evaluate policy, and to assess the economic well-being of
the different agricultural sectors. Most of the data
collected is required also by the Statistical Office of the
European Communities. Equally important is the regular
contact with farmers, which enables the department's
register to be kept up to date. This means, for example,
that information on new animal health requirements, or new
subsidy schemes can be quickly directed to relevant
farmers.
Some of the tables shown in this section provide
information for each of our 14 standard regions. Data is
also available in this format for the December census, from
the 2001 results onwards.
Land Sales Data Discontinued
Agricultural land sales data have appeared regularly in
Tables C12 and C13 of this report in past years, but are
being discontinued. It is considered likely that the
coverage of land sales has become incomplete, and it is the
case that the number of sales reported is now too few to
allow any meaningful analysis. The raw data collection has
been continued up to 2003/04, and land sales data are
available on request (for contacts see inside front cover).
However the data are not of publishable quality. The data
up to 2003/04 are available on request, although latter
years' data should be treated with caution. A review is
being conducted to try to locate a suitable replacement
source which is both complete and can identify
'agricultural' land, and with sufficient accuracy and
detail to provide the type of analysis the now discontinued
series used to provide.
Change to Farm Classification
This year, the farm classification groupings which have
existed since 1985 have been slightly amended. The main
change concerns 'Pigs and Poultry' farm type which has been
split into 'Specialist Pigs' and 'Specialist Poultry' farm
types. There are also some minor changes to the 'Mixed'
farm type. Table C32 details the changes which have taken
place comparing the old farm type with the new type based
on June 2004 data. Most farms (holdings) retain the same
farm type under the new classification.
In line with other
UK agricultural departments, the
underlying economic measure (standard gross margin) which
provides the basic data for the farm classification has
been updated from a 1988 basis to a 2000 basis. The 2000
basis is a centred standard gross margin, averaged over 5
years. Table C39 provides 2004, 1999 and 1994 census data
using the new 2000 centred Standard Gross Margin.
Census year 2004 also marks the introduction of a new
farm classification system - Standard Labour Requirements (
SLRs).
Standard Labour Requirements assign farm types to
agricultural businesses according to how much labour they
use. Standards or norms have been calculated for all major
enterprises. The total
SLR for each farm is calculated by
multiplying its crop areas and livestock numbers by the
appropriate
SLR coefficients and then summing the
results for all enterprises on the farm.
Table C40 details main and minor holdings by Standard
Labour Requirements and new farm type. Further details
regarding Standard Labour Requirements and farm
classification are outlined in the commentary to section B
of this publication.
Commentary
Crops
The total area of combine harvested crops on main and
minor farms increased by almost 3% in 2004. The area of
wheat rose by 15 per cent to 102,000 hectares. The area of
barley fell by almost 2 per cent to 316,500 hectares. The
area of oilseed rape rose by 12 per cent to 39,400
hectares. The area put into obligatory set aside fell by
almost 17 per cent to 75,600 hectares.
The area of potatoes on main and minor farms rose by 3
per cent to 29,400 hectares. Crops grown for stock feeding
rose by less than 2 per cent to 25,300 hectares.
The area of grass and rough grazing on main and minor
farms were little changed. The total agricultural area was
6,116,200 hectares in 2004 of which about 64 per cent was
accounted for by rough and common grazing. Farm woodland
continued to increase in 2004 to a total (main and minor
farms) of about 239,000 hectares, the highest since 1959
when records began.
Livestock
The total number of cattle on main and minor farms rose
slightly in 2004 to 1.964 million. The dairy herd decreased
by 1 per cent to 197,200 while the number of dairy heifers
in calf for the first time increased by 8 per cent.
The beef herd rose by 1 per cent in 2004 to 496,000. The
number of beef heifers rose by 2,300 in 2004 to 50,800.
'Cattle under 1 year' rose by 1 per cent to 589,000.
The number of sheep on main and minor farms remained
unchanged in 2004 at 8 million. The number of ewes for
breeding increased by less than 1 per cent to 3.2 million.
The number of lambs decreased by less than 1 per cent to
3.85 million.
The pig breeding herd decreased slightly in 2004,
falling by 1 per cent to 49,000. The total pig herd
decreased also, by almost 4 per cent, to 471,700.
The poultry flock increased by just under 10 per cent to
15.9 million in 2004, chiefly as a result of a rise of over
1.2 million broilers and other table birds.
Labour
The regular agricultural labour force fell by 2 per cent
to 21,180. Full-time and part-time staff both decreased by
less than 2 per cent. Casual and seasonal staff remained
unchanged at 4,220.
The number of occupiers working on main and minor farms
increased by less than 1 per cent to 28,240. The number of
spouses working on the farm also rose by less than 1 per
cent to 14,420.
« Previous | Contents | Next »