Total Income from Farming Estimates for Scotland, 2016-18

Introduction

Total Income from Farming (TIFF) is the official measure of the profit (income minus costs) gained by the agriculture industry in Scotland. It provides a breakdown of the value of farm production, subsidies and costs.

This publication contains initial estimates for 2018, revised estimates for 2017, and smaller revisions to previous years.

A lot of the data used in calculating Total Income from Farming for 2018 will only become available during 2019, and some not until 2020. That is why we say these are only our initial estimates.

Main findings

Scottish agriculture was impacted by the effect of poor weather throughout 2018, though perhaps not as badly as elsewhere in the UK.

There was a low number of lambs born, and both the cereal area and yield fell. Cattle numbers continued to fall in both the beef and dairy sectors. However, there were increases in cereal and livestock prices.

Costs were estimated to rise, particularly feed and labour costs.

Farm subsidies, part of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, were set to rise in 2018. Subsidies accounted for 82 per cent of profit from farming, a figure which shows farming’s continued dependence on support payments.