Scottish Agricultural Census: June 2019

Introduction

Main Findings

The number of cattle in Scotland has now hit a 60 year low. The number of dairy cattle is similar to 2018, but the overall trend continues a decline in the total number of livestock.

Lamb numbers have made a recovery in 2019. Numbers were lower last year due to the spring snow and general poor weather conditions that hit the lambing season.

The area used to grow vegetables, excluding potatoes, for animal consumption was larger than the area intended for human consumption.

Winter planting of crops improved at the end of 2018, which had the effect of increasing total cereal planted areas despite a small drop in spring planting at the start of 2019.

There are some early signals indicating that the use of migrant labour has declined, however actual figures should be used with caution.

The amount of short-term leased land continues to increase and long-term leased land likewise is decreasing. The total amount of tenanted land remained steady.