Farm borrowing statistics based on information collected from banks and mortgage companies operating in Scotland were published on 20th August 2009.
At the end of May 2009 total outstanding advances to the Scottish agricultural industry were estimated to be £1,385 million. This represents an actual decrease of £5.7 million (0.4 per cent) on the 2008 figure. In real terms (adjusting for deflation across the same period using the retail price index) this represents an increase of 0.7 per cent.
The figures include advances to agricultural contractors and livestock salesmen. However, advances to farmers accounts for over 97 per cent of the total, with 88 per cent of total advances to agriculture going to owner-occupiers.
The prevalence of lending to owner-occupiers reflects the structure of agriculture in Scotland, where 72% of agricultural area (excluding common grazing) is owner-occupied.
CHART : Bank Advances To Scottish Agriculture as at May 31 1980 to 2009
Table of Bank Advances To Scottish Agriculture as at May 31 2009
| Advances (£m) | Advances (£m) | Index May 2009 = 100 | Index May 2009 = 100 |
| May | Current | Real | Current | Real |
| 1980 | 518 | 1652 | 37 | 119 |
| 1981 | 616 | 1760 | 45 | 127 |
| 1982 | 665 | 1733 | 48 | 125 |
| 1983 | 741 | 1864 | 54 | 135 |
| 1984 | 824 | 1971 | 60 | 142 |
| 1985 | 886 | 1980 | 64 | 143 |
| 1986 | 970 | 2109 | 70 | 152 |
| 1987 | 958 | 2001 | 69 | 145 |
| 1988 | 927 | 1858 | 67 | 134 |
| 1989 | 911 | 1686 | 66 | 122 |
| 1990 | 890 | 1502 | 64 | 108 |
| 1991 | 886 | 1413 | 64 | 102 |
| 1992 | 896 | 1369 | 65 | 99 |
| 1993 | 870 | 1312 | 63 | 95 |
| 1994 | 895 | 1315 | 65 | 95 |
| 1995 | 896 | 1274 | 65 | 92 |
| 1996 | 942 | 1312 | 68 | 95 |
| 1997 | 968 | 1313 | 70 | 95 |
| 1998 | 1066 | 1387 | 77 | 100 |
| 1999 | 1058 | 1359 | 76 | 98 |
| 2000 | 1189 | 1482 | 86 | 107 |
| 2001 | 1213 | 1482 | 88 | 107 |
| 2002 | 1234 | 1490 | 89 | 108 |
| 2003 | 1300 | 1524 | 94 | 110 |
| 2004 | 1283 | 1464 | 93 | 106 |
| 2005 | 1298 | 1439 | 94 | 104 |
| 2006 | 1322 | 1423 | 95 | 103 |
| 2007 | 1419 | 1464 | 102 | 106 |
2008 2009 | 1390 1385 | 1376 1385 | 100 100 | 99 100 |
Bank Advances By Sector as at May 31 2009
| May | Occupiers | Tenants | Total | Agricultural
Contractors | Livestock
Salesman | Total |
| 1981 | 82.30% | 15.00% | 97.30% | 1.00% | 1.70% | 100.00% |
| 1982 | 81.30% | 14.90% | 96.20% | 1.20% | 2.70% | 100.00% |
| 1983 | 82.40% | 14.50% | 96.90% | 1.00% | 2.10% | 100.00% |
| 1984 | 82.50% | 14.60% | 97.00% | 1.00% | 2.00% | 100.00% |
| 1985 | 82.30% | 14.40% | 96.70% | 1.40% | 1.90% | 100.00% |
| 1986 | 82.20% | 15.10% | 97.30% | 1.50% | 1.20% | 100.00% |
| 1987 | 82.50% | 15.20% | 97.70% | 1.30% | 1.00% | 100.00% |
| 1988 | 82.60% | 15.10% | 97.70% | 1.20% | 1.00% | 100.00% |
| 1989 | 82.60% | 14.70% | 97.30% | 1.50% | 1.20% | 100.00% |
| 1990 | 82.20% | 14.90% | 97.10% | 1.20% | 1.70% | 100.00% |
| 1991 | 82.20% | 14.60% | 96.80% | 1.50% | 1.70% | 100.00% |
| 1992 | 83.00% | 13.90% | 96.90% | 1.70% | 1.40% | 100.00% |
| 1993 | 83.50% | 13.30% | 96.80% | 2.10% | 1.10% | 100.00% |
| 1994 | 84.00% | 13.10% | 97.00% | 1.90% | 1.10% | 100.00% |
| 1995 | 84.10% | 12.70% | 96.80% | 2.00% | 1.20% | 100.00% |
| 1996 | 84.20% | 12.30% | 96.40% | 1.50% | 2.00% | 100.00% |
| 1997 | 83.90% | 13.30% | 97.20% | 1.30% | 1.40% | 100.00% |
| 1998 | 82.70% | 14.20% | 96.80% | 1.20% | 2.00% | 100.00% |
| 1999 | 83.20% | 13.40% | 96.60% | 1.40% | 2.00% | 100.00% |
| 2000 | 81.90% | 13.10% | 95.00% | 2.70% | 2.20% | 100.00% |
| 2001 | 84.10% | 10.50% | 94.60% | 2.90% | 2.50% | 100.00% |
| 2002 | 86.40% | 10.10% | 96.50% | 2.70% | 0.80% | 100.00% |
| 2003 | 86.10% | 9.70% | 95.80% | 3.60% | 0.60% | 100.00% |
| 2004 | 86.80% | 9.60% | 96.40% | 3.20% | 0.40% | 100.00% |
| 2005 | 86.80% | 9.70% | 96.60% | 3.00% | 0.40% | 100.00% |
| 2006 | 86.50% | 9.90% | 96.40% | 3.20% | 0.40% | 100.00% |
| 2007 | 87.50% | 8.90% | 96.50% | 3.00% | 0.50% | 100.00% |
2008 2009 | 87.80% 88.30% | 9.30% 9.00% | 97.10% 97.30% | 2.60% 2.20% | 0.30% 0.50% | 100.00% 100.00% |