Total income from farming: estimates for Scotland 2014-2016

10. Revisions

Regular revisions

Values for many of the datasets used in TIFF do not become available until later in the year. This means that the data published here for 2016 are often only a first estimate, with revised data being published next year and possibly a further update the following year. For this reason this publication contains updated data for 2014 and 2015.

Methodological changes

A wide-ranging review of TIFF methodology was carried out during 2012 and 2013. Thereafter more minor methodology improvements have been identified, due to improved data sources, estimations or modelling. Where such changes have been made, back series are calculated where necessary. A document explaining the latest revisions to previously published TIFF estimates is available online at the following link www.gov.scot/farmingrevisions2016

Effect of changes

For the most recent years, compared to the results published in January 2016, TIFF has been revised downwards £2 million (0.2 per cent ) for 2014, and down £14 million (two per cent) for 2015. The revised trend in TIFF between 2014 and 2015 shows an decrease of £122 million (16 per cent) before inflation, a more negative trend than that published in January 2016 (which initially estimated an 14 per cent decrease before inflation).

The largest revisions (in numerical rather than percentage terms) between 2015 initial estimates published last year and 2015 second estimates published here, are in

i. expenditure on feedstuffs, revised down £61 million. This is due to actual expenditure reported in the Farm Accounts Survey being quite different from initial estimates based on price indices, fodder production and livestock numbers.

ii. income from finished cattle, revised downwards £31 million. This was due to a double counting of the coupled support payment in last year's calculation.

iii. expenditure on fertilisers, revised upwards £18 million. This is due to updated data from the British Survey of Fertiliser Practice and updated price information.