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Publication - Statistics

Pesticide usage: outdoor vegetable crops 2019

Published
7 October 2020
Directorate
Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
Topic
Farming and rural
ISBN
9781800040830

Information from a survey of pesticide use on outdoor vegetable crops grown in Scotland during 2019.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Appendix 2 – Survey statistics

Census and sample information

Table 20 Census crop areas 2019
Census area (ha) of vegetable crops grown in Scotland
Scotland 2019 Scotland 2017 % change
Vining peas 8,142 7,808 4
Broad beans 1,800 1,767 2
Brussels sprouts 930 1,040 -11
Cabbages 228 278 -18
Calabrese 1,487 1,794 -17
Carrots 3,325 3,752 -11
Cauliflower 298 330 -10
Leeks 69 68 1
Lettuce 97 93 4
Rhubarb 72 75 -3
Turnips & swedes 1,359 1,413 -4
All vegetable crops(1) 18,624 19,336 -4

(1) Includes other vegetable crops
Note: Data taken from the 2019 and 2017 June Agricultural Census
All areas exclude multi-cropping 

Table 21 Distribution of vegetable sample (excluding holdings growing only peas)
Number of holdings surveyed in each region and size group
Size(1) (ha) Highlands & Islands Caithness & Orkney Moray Firth Aberdeen Angus East Fife Lothian Central Lowlands Tweed Valley Scotland
0.1-9.9 4 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 1 11
10-19.9 0 0 1 0 6 3 3 1 2 16
20-29.9 0 0 3 2 2 2 2 0 0 11
30-39.9 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 5
>40 0 0 1 0 4 4 3 1 1 14
All sizes 4 0 6 3 15 13 9 3 4 57

(1) Refers to area of vegetable crops (excluding vining peas) grown on holding

Table 22 Distribution of pea sample
Number of holdings surveyed in each region and size group
Size(1) (ha) Angus East Fife Lothian Central Lowlands Tweed Valley Scotland
0.1-9.9 3 0 0 0 0 3
10-19.9 5 1 1 2 1 10
20-29.9 4 0 0 1 1 6
30-39.9 2 0 0 0 2 4
>40 3 1 0 1 1 6
All sizes 17 2 1 4 5 29

(1) Refers to area of vining peas grown on holding

Table 23 Sampled areas (vegetables excluding peas)
Areas (ha) of vegetable crops grown in sample
Size(1) (ha) Scotland(2)
0.1-9.9 52
10-19.9 182
20-29.9 189
30-39.9 153
>40 793
All sizes 1,369
Table 24 Census areas (vegetables excluding peas)
Areas (ha) of vegetable crops grown in Scotland
Size(3) (ha) Scotland(2)
0.1-9.9 1,968
10-19.9 3,037
20-29.9 1,760
30-39.9 1,448
>40 2,269
All sizes 10,482
Table 25 Sampled areas (peas)
Areas (ha) of peas grown in sample
Size(1) (ha) Scotland(2)
0.1-9.9 23
10-19.9 167
20-29.9 154
30-39.9 138
>40 331
All sizes 813
Table 26 Census areas (peas)
Areas (ha) of peas grown in Scotland

Size(3) (ha)

Scotland(2)

0.1-9.9

828

10-19.9

3,084

20-29.9

1,825

30-39.9

1,009

>40

1,396

All sizes

8,142

(1) Size refers to area of vegetable crops (excluding peas) grown on holding
(2) Regional data have not been provided in order to prevent disclosure of information relating to fewer than five holdings.
(3) Size refers to area of peas grown on holding

Table 27 Raising factors (vegetable crops excluding peas)
Size(1) (ha) Highlands & Islands Caithness & Orkney Moray Firth Aberdeen Angus East Fife Lothian Central Lowlands Tweed Valley
0.1-9.9 7.49 N/A 34.00 44.39 96.75 20.98 N/A 44.52 19.35
10-19.9 N/A N/A 26.17 N/A 15.33 16.80 7.94 41.92 9.20
20-29.9 N/A N/A 4.31 3.82 13.69 10.73 10.32 N/A N/A
30-39.9 N/A N/A N/A N/A 11.95 5.55 2.77 N/A N/A
>40 N/A N/A 4.17 N/A 2.30 3.18 2.73 5.81 1.65

(1) Size refers to area of vegetable crops (excluding peas) grown on holding
N/A = not applicable

Table 28 Raising factors (peas)
Size(1) (ha) Angus East Fife Lothian Central Lowlands Tweed Valley
0.1-9.9 28.31 N/A N/A N/A N/A
10-19.9 19.76 11.25 14.00 20.98 21.57
20-29.9 8.36 N/A N/A 12.09 15.77
30-39.9 4.41 N/A N/A N/A 5.28
>40 4.47 0.98 N/A 2.76 5.95

(1) Size refers to area of peas grown on holding
N/A = not applicable
Note: raising factors are calculated by comparing the sampled crop area to the census crop area. Please see Appendix 4 for a full explanation

Table 29 First and second adjustment factors

Highlands & Islands Caithness & Orkney Moray Firth Aberdeen Angus East Fife Lothian Central Lowlands Tweed Valley ADJ2
Broad beans N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.90 N/A N/A N/A N/A 2.15
Brussels sprouts N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.37 0.76 N/A 0.63 1.15
Cabbages N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.74 0.64 N/A N/A 1.03
Calabrese N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.39 0.72 N/A N/A N/A 1.07
Carrots N/A N/A 1.10 4.32 1.92 0.81 0.45 0.55 2.74 1.02
Cauliflower N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 7.15 N/A N/A N/A 1.14
Leeks N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1.17 N/A 2.34 1.09
Lettuce N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1.02 N/A N/A N/A 1.57
Other Vegetables 1.49 N/A 0.52 N/A N/A 3.70 N/A N/A N/A 2.42
Rhubarb N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.20 N/A 1.22
Turnips & swedes 0.77 N/A N/A 0.57 1.39 1.49 1.50 N/A 0.97 1.26
Vining peas N/A N/A N/A N/A 1.00 2.14 2.44 1.20 1.02 1.00

N/A = not applicable

Response rates

The table below summarises the number of holdings contacted during the survey.

Table 30 Response rate

2019 % total
Target sample vegetables 60 100
Target sample vining peas 30 100
Total achieved vegetables 57 95
Total achieved vining peas 29 97
Total number of refusals/non-contact 38  
Total number of farms approached 124  

Financial burden to farmers

In order to minimise the burden on farmers, the survey team used non-visit methods of collection such as email, post or telephone call.

To determine the total burden that the 2019 outdoor vegetable crop survey placed on those providing the information, the surveyors recorded the time that 40 respondents spent providing the data during the surveys.  This sample represents 47 per cent of growers surveyed.  The median time taken to provide the information was 10 minutes.

The following formula was used to estimate the total cost of participating:

Burden (£) = No. surveyed x median time taken (hours) x typical hourly rate*

(* using median "Full Time Gross" hourly pay for Scotland of £13.37)(12)

The total financial burden to all growers resulting from participation in the 2019 outdoor vegetable crop survey was calculated to be £192.

Contact

Email: psu@sasa.gov.scot

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