Scottish Agriculture and Industry Overview

Question 1

What are the Major land uses in scotland?

Answer 1

Almost exclusively rural. 2.5% urban central belt. 79% Agricultural land (6.2Mha). Declined due to woodland & urban expansion. 18% woodland (deer/grouse)

Question 2

Breakdown Agricultural land use in scotland?

Answer 2

60% rough grazing
20% grass
10% crop or fallow
10% woodland/yard/other

Question 3

What are the general trends in Agriculture since 1980?

Answer 3

Decline in Arable farming (13% less)
Decline in rough grazing (21% less) = 800,000 ha

Increase in permanent pasture and soft fruit production

Question 4

What other Agiricultural trends can be seen particularly between 2007-2017?

Answer 4

Woodland on agricultural hodings have more than doubled.

2007: 250k Ha
2017: 550k Ha

Question 5

What does LFA mean?

Answer 5

-Less favoured area
-if 50%< of the land is assessed as being disadvantaged, and will only support low intensity farming.
Can also be reffered to as ANC (area facing natural constraint).

Question 6

What percentage of land in scotland

and England is LFA?

Answer 6

Scotland- 86% of ALL agricultural land, which euals 5.6Mha

England-16%

Question 7

What is the general LFA trend on a Map of scotland?

Answer 7

The East hosts a lot of good, rich land outside of the LFA, whereas the central, west and North are LFA.

Question 8

What are the MAIN types of farming in scotland?

Answer 8

Livestock

Arable
Mixed e.g.
-veg and soft fruit
-energy crops

Question 9

Wat are the 11 basic distinguishable farm types?

Answer 9

• dairy
• Horticulture/ Permanent crop
• Poultry
• General cropping
• Pigs
• Cereals
• Mixed
• cattle and sheep LFA
• cattle and sheep (non LFA)
• forage
• other

Question 10

What is unique about Dairy, Cattle&sheep LFA and Forage farm types?

Answer 10

Dairy- highest standard output per holidng £454,000

Cattle&sheep- Largest by Ha, 3.3MHa

Forage- Highest number of holdings. 21,100.

Question 11

What is the total area ( in Ha) of Arable crop in Scotland? And name the 3 largest crop examples?

Answer 11

Total Area= 587,000 Ha

Barley- 291,000Ha
Wheat- 110,000ha
Potatoes-279,000

Question 12

Describe the History of the crop Spring Barley, oilseed rape and potato?

Answer 12

Currently Scotland principle crop (70% of all arable crop).

However, a gradual decline since 1980s and increase in Wheat farming.

Oilseed rape unkmown in 80s, peaked in 90s (70,000ha) and has since dropped back down to 35,000ha in 2010.

Potato farming, very stable farming over the last 40 years.

Question 13

Describe the history of Livestock farming?

Answer 13

Important part of scottish agriculture, focuses on quality not quantity (e.g aberdeen angus).

General downward trend in cattle. 2.7Million 1974 and 1.8 million 2015.

Sheep farming fluctuating since 30s. 10 million in 1992, 7 million 2011.

Question 14

What is the biggst change in livestock farming?

Answer 14

Winter feed, such as turnip and hay almost non existent now, replace with Silage.

Question 15

How much does scotlands agriculture contribute to GDP?`

Answer 15

in 2018, agriculture made up 1% of scotlands 180 billion GDP.

Estimated gross value added (GVA) of 1.3 billion.

Question 16

What is TIFF?

Answer 16

Total income from farming

official measure of profit minus the cost gained by the agircultural industry.

TIFF has generally incrased but so has the Input costs.

Question 17

Give examples of the input costs of farming?

Answer 17

Machinery

• Fuel
• repairs

Capital

• borrowing
• owned

chemical spraying
vet bills
Fencing
Storage
Seeds
soil nutrients
labour management
land

Question 18

What input has experienced the largest price rise?

Answer 18

Labour costs and the costs associated with borrowing

Question 19

What is the FBI?

Answer 19

“farm buisiness income”

average buisiness level measure of farm income in the UK. It varies from year to year depending on price markets, output cost and demand.

Question 20

What would happen to FBI without subsidies?

Answer 20

60% of farms would make a loss without subsity, average farm losing £7400, and sheep beef LFA losing £27,500

Question 21

Where does the FBI data come from?

Answer 21

It comes from the FAS- Forestry accounts survey.

Represents economically active farms, not small holdings.

Question 22

Describe some of the FBI Trends?

Answer 22

Dairy has the largest average FBI.

Diverse activity farms do better, have around 20k higher FBI than those that dont diverse.

Sheep LFA highly dependant on subsity, so have a low income.

Question 23

Give examples of other sources of farm income?

Answer 23

• Tourism
• mobile phone masts
• grants and subsidies
• wind turbines

Question 24

Describe the general labour trend in agriculture?

Answer 24

67,000 people and declining work in agriculture in scotland. Only 37% fulltime, and remaining part time and seasonal staff.

Generally decreasing because of machinery replacing labour. Larger turnover requird only possible via machines.

Question 25

Why has the number and area of land covered by long term leases reduced over time?

Answer 25

Introduction of shorter term leases, and reduction in rented land.

contract farming on the rise, whereby owners do not wish to farm the land themselves

Question 26

What is the 91 Act tenancy?

Answer 26

A tenancy for one year or more, with full security of tenure and rights.

Question 27

Give some examples of policy in Agriculture?

Answer 27

Scottish rural development programme

common agricultural policy

Question 28

What is the common agricultural policy (CAP)?

Answer 28

Supports farmers income through the basic payment scheme. Useful for farms like cereals and beef which rely on subsidies.