HC Deb 06 November 2003 vol 412 cc730-1W
Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many agriculture and horticulture holdings in the United Kingdom there were which were mainly(a) beef, (b) dairy, (c) sheep, (d) pigs, (e) poultry meat, (f) poultry egg, (g) fruit and vegetables, (h) flowers and other non edible crops, (i) energy crops, (j) arable, (k) mixed and (l) other in each of the last 10 years for which records are available. [135769]

Mr. Bradshaw

Agricultural and horticultural holdings are classified annually from the June agricultural and horticultural census into 27 different types.

For the last 10 years the figures are:

Main farm types 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Cereals 21,473 20,905 20,996 21,340 21,258
General cropping 11,239 11,119 9,861 9,991 9,200
Specialist fruit 1,645 1,554 2,647 2,675 2,553
Specialist glass 2,826 2,771 2,741 2,671 2,604
Other horticulture 3,026 3,019 3,260 3,143 3,368
Specialist pigs 2,171 1,920 1,893 1,981 2,160
Specialist poultry 3,179 3,437 4,100 4,680 4,685
Mixed pigs and poultry 113 104 129 130 146
Dairy—LFA 3,014 2,895 2,605 2,584 2,662
Dairy—lowland 14,000 13,418 12,614 11,522 11,680
Specialist sheep—SDA 2,665 2,845 2,875 2,996 3,388
Specialist beef—SDA 1,901 1,885 1,652 1,850 1,943
Mixed cattle and sheep—SDA 3,154 3,037 2,913 2,915 3,043
Cattle and sheep—DA 2,835 2,880 2,657 2,944 3,389
Cattle and sheep—Lowland 29,893 31,269 32,816 31,306 3,3778
Cropping and dairy 1,679 1,565 1,401 1,198 1,181
Cropping cattle and sheep 5,772 5,680 5,573 5,397 5,179
Cropping pig and poultry 1,173 1,046 959 930 809
Cropping and mixed livestock 611 647 998 1,086 1,048
Mixed livestock 2,044 1,814 1,984 2,045 2,067
Specialist mushrooms 140 152 141 94 40
Specialist hardy nursery stock 883 848 995 999 995
Specialist set-aside 859 988 1,035 1,340 1,341
Specialist grass and forage 18,256 21,175 24,298 25,781 23,476
Specialist goats 346 408 809 1,127 1,690
Specialist horses 9,420 9,026 14,326 14,967 16,845
Non-classifiable—fallow 302 305 541 548 580
Non-classifiable—other 474 508 11,036 19,694 26,763
All types 145,093 147,220 167,855 177,934 187,871

Abbreviation

LFA—Less Favoured Area

SDA—Severely Disadvantaged Area

DA—Disadvantaged Area

Notes:

  1. 1. 1993 to 1999 figures refer to main holding only.
  2. 2. 2000 onwards—main and minor holding.