Agricultural land use in England at 1 June 2023
Updated 9 November 2023
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agricultural-land-use-in-england/agricultural-land-use-in-england-at-1-june-2023
This release contains the estimates of crop areas, land use and land ownership on commercial agricultural holdings in England on 1 June 2023 from the June Survey of Agriculture. Cereal and oilseed areas were published on 31 August. They are included here for completeness and remain unchanged.
All results tables are available in the datasets which are available at
Land use areas in England 2002 to 2023.
Agricultural land ownership and tenure in England.
Key points
Agricultural land use
- The utilised agricultural area (UAA) is 8.8 million hectares in 2023 and accounts for 68% of the total area of England.
- The total croppable area accounts for just over half (55%) of UAA and saw little change between 2022 and 2023, remaining stable at just under 4.9 million hectares.
- Permanent grassland accounts for an additional 40% of UAA and has decreased by 2.9% to 3.5 million hectares in 2023.
Crops
- The total area of arable crops saw a 1.3% decrease between 2022 and 2023, falling to just under 3.7 million hectares.
- Cereals account for the majority (70%) of the total arable crop area, covering just under 2.6 million hectares in 2023.
- The area of wheat decreased by 5.3% to 1.58 million hectares, whilst barley increased by 2.2% to 799 thousand hectares.
- The area of oilseed crops increased by 3.4% to 369 thousand hectares in 2023. Oilseed rape accounts for 93% of this area and rose by 6.1% to 342 thousand hectares in 2023.
- Potatoes decreased by 12%, falling to 82 thousand hectares in 2023.
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The remaining arable crops covered 670 thousand hectares. Field beans and maize together account for almost two thirds of this area. Fields beans rose by 1.2% while maize saw a larger increase of 7.5% between 2022 and 2023.
- The area of horticultural crops covers 117 thousand hectares of land, a decrease of 6.3% compared to 2022.
Land ownership
- The area of agricultural land owned in England decreased by 0.5% to just under 6.2 million hectares in 2023. Land rented in for a year or more fell by 0.9% and now stands at just under 2.9 million hectares.
Section 1 – Detailed results
1.1 Utilised agricultural area
The utilised agricultural area includes all arable and horticultural crops, uncropped arable land, land used for outdoor pigs, temporary and permanent grassland and common rough grazing. The total utilised agricultural area in England is 8.8 million hectares in 2023 and accounts for 68% of the total England area.
Figure 1 - Total utilised agricultural area in England at 1 June
Figure 1 shows that the utilised agricultural area in England has remained stable around 9 million hectares since 2002. The small drop seen between 2008 and 2009 is a result of register improvements made ahead of the 2010 Census which removed holdings that no longer have agricultural activity.
1.2 Croppable area
The area of land available for cropping cropping remained stable in 2023 at just under 4.9 million. The croppable area consists of cereals, oilseeds, potatoes, other arable crops, horticultural crops, uncropped arable land and temporary grassland.
Figure 2 shows that overall, the proportion of croppable land used for each purpose remained similar between 2022 and 2023; however, some categories did see value changes.
In particular, the area of uncropped arable land increased by 17%, from 241 thousand hectares in 2022 to 281 thousand hectares in 2023. Oilseeds and temporary grassland also saw increases in 2023, rising by 3.4% and 2.3% respectively, whereas cereals decreased by 3.0%. Potatoes and horticultural crops saw the largest proportional decreases in area, however together they only account for 4.1% of the croppable area and so had little impact on the overall total.
Figure 2 - Total croppable area in England at 1 June
| Year | Cereals | Oilseeds | Temporary grass | Other arable crops | Uncropped arable land | Horticulture | Potatoes | Total croppable area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 55% | 10% | 14% | 12% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 100% |
| 2020 | 52% | 8% | 15% | 13% | 7% | 3% | 2% | 100% |
| 2021 | 55% | 6% | 16% | 13% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 100% |
| 2022 | 54% | 7% | 16% | 13% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 100% |
| 2023 | 52% | 8% | 16% | 14% | 6% | 2% | 2% | 100% |
1.3 Arable crops
The total area of arable crops saw a 1.3% decrease between 2022 and 2023, falling to just under 3.7 million hectares. Cereal crops account for the largest proportion (70%) of this area.
The total area of cereal crops in England decreased by 3.0% between 2022 and 2023 and stands at just under 2.6 million hectares. This is largely driven by a 5.3% decrease in the wheat area. Oats and other cereals have also seen decreases of 4.2% and 5.6% respectively. Plantings have continued to follow a more typical pattern following the disruption due to weather in recent years however, in 2023 wheat plantings have possibly reduced in favour of farmers planting barley and oilseed.
The area of wheat fell by 5.3% between 2022 and 2023 and now stands at 1.58 million hectares. Winter sown barley increased by 5.2% to 391 thousand hectares, whilst spring sown barley decreased by 0.5% to 408 thousand hectares. This resulted in a 2.2% increase in the area of total barley, from 782 thousand hectares in 2022 to 799 thousand hectares in 2023 (see Figure 3).
The total area of oilseed rape increased by 6.1%, from 323 thousand hectares in 2022 to 342 thousand hectares in 2023. This was due to a 7.0% rise in the area of winter sown oilseed rape which accounts for 99% of the total oilseed rape area.
For more detailed information please go to the full Cereal and oilseed rape areas in England release.
Figure 3 - Area of wheat, barley and oilseed rape in England at 1 June (thousand hectares)
| year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| wheat | 1,655 | 1,668 | 1,580 |
| barley | 816 | 782 | 799 |
| oilseed rape | 268 | 323 | 342 |
The total potato area saw a fall of 12% to 82 thousand hectares in 2023, continuing the downward trend seen in recent years. This decrease was driven by a 12% reduction in the area of main crop potatoes, which accounts for 88% of the total potato area.
Other arable crops covered 670 thousand hectares in 2023, an increase of 4.5% between 2022 and 2023. There were area changes across most of the individual crops within this group such as field beans, which rose by 1.2% to 211 thousand hectares and accounts for almost a third of other arable crops. Sugar beet and peas for harvesting dry also saw increases of 8.8% and 6.5% respectively.
Maize which accounts for another third of the other arable crops area, increased by 7.5% to 218 thousand hectares. Root crops, all other arable crops and other stockfeeding crops all decreased between 2022 and 2023, falling by 1.7%, 12% and 0.5% respectively. Conversely leguminous forage crops increased by 25%.
1.4 Horticultural crops
Horticultural crops cover 117 thousand hectares in June 2023, falling by 6.3% since 2022. This area is mostly used to grow fruit and vegetables, which covers just over 90% of the total horticultural area. The remaining area is used to grow hardy nursery stock (8%) and crop under glass (1%).
The total area of orchards and small fruit decreased by 1.7% between 2022 and 2023 to 29 thousand hectares. Orchards account for two thirds of this total and covered 19 thousand hectares in 2023. The remaining area of 10 thousand hectares is used to grow small fruit.
Figure 4 shows the breakdown of small fruit areas in 2023. The largest proportion (36%) of the small fruit area is used to grow wine grapes and this area has been regularly increasing in recent years. Strawberries and blackcurrants are the next most common small fruit crops, both accounting for 21% of the area in 2023.
Figure 4 - Breakdown of small fruit areas in England at 1 June
| Year | Stawberries | Blackcurrants | Wine grapes | Raspberries | Other small fruit | Total small fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 28% | 23% | 25% | 12% | 12% | 100% |
| 2020 | 27% | 23% | 26% | 13% | 11% | 100% |
| 2021 | 26% | 24% | 29% | 11% | 10% | 100% |
| 2022 | 22% | 23% | 32% | 12% | 11% | 100% |
| 2023 | 21% | 21% | 36% | 10% | 12% | 100% |
The area used to grow vegetables and salad for human consumption decreased by 8.7%, to 77 thousand hectares in 2023. The area of vining peas for processing decreased by 11% between 2022 and 2023 to 26 thousand hectares, whilst other peas and beans remained unchanged at 2.5 thousand hectares. Other vegetables and salad decreased by 8.9%, covering 46 thousand hectares and accounting for 59% of the total area (see Figure 5).
Figure 5 - Breakdown of vegetable and salad areas in England at 1 June
| Year | All other vegetables and salad (incl. carrots & onions) | Vining peas for processing | Culinary plants for human consumption (incl. herbs) | Other peas and beans | Total vegetables and salad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 64% | 29% | 4% | 3% | 100% |
| 2020 | 66% | 27% | 4% | 3% | 100% |
| 2021 | 59% | 33% | 5% | 3% | 100% |
| 2022 | 59% | 34% | 4% | 3% | 100% |
| 2023 | 59% | 34% | 4% | 3% | 100% |
1.5 Land ownership
The total area of land owned in 2023 was just under 6.2 million hectares, a decrease of 0.5% compared to 2022.
Land rented in for a year or more saw a 0.9% decrease in 2023 and now covers just under 2.9 million hectares. Most of this rented area (43%) is covered by Farm Business Tenancies, which saw a 1.0% decline and covers almost 1.3 million hectares. Land under Full Agricultural Tenancies has continued to decline, falling by 3.6% to below 1.2 million hectares and now accounts for 40% of this area. Conversely, the remaining 17% of land rented in for a year or more, covered by other agreements, has increased by 6.5% in 2023 (see Figure 6).
Figure 6 - Breakdown of area of land rented in for a year or more in England at 1 June (hectares)
| Rented land | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Agricultural Tenancy | 1,223,712 | 1,196,236 | 1,153,136 |
| Full Business Tenancy | 1,242,243 | 1,270,043 | 1,257,789 |
| Other agreement | 469,181 | 458,302 | 487,940 |
Land rented in on a seasonal basis increased by 2.8%, to 564 thousand hectares in 2023. Land let out seasonally decreased between 2022 and 2023, falling 1.3% to 494 thousand hectares.
Section 2 – About these statistics
2.1 Survey methodology
Full details of the survey methodology are available on the Structure of the agricultural industry guidance web page.
The June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture has been run predominantly online since 2011, with an option for farmers to complete a paper form if they prefer. The survey is annual and samples around 30,000 holdings most years, with a full census run once a decade. The last census was run in 2021.
The June 2023 survey was sent to a sample of 30,000 commercial holdings and responses were received from 17,000 holdings, representing a response rate of 56%. Commercial holdings are defined as those with more than five hectares of agricultural land, one hectare of orchards, 0.5 hectares of vegetables or 0.1 hectares of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry.
Table 1 provides details of the sample survey population broken down by farm size. The size of a farm is determined by its Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) which is the typical number of full-time workers required on the holding based on its activity.
Table 1: June 2023 population size and sampling rate
| Stratum | Description | Sampling rate (%) | Population size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLR < 0.5 | 11% | 51,813 | |
| 2 | SLR >= 0.5 and < 1 | 20% | 14,898 | |
| 3 | SLR >= 1 and < 2 | 36% | 13,374 | |
| 4 | SLR >= 2 and < 3 | 52% | 7,130 | |
| 5 | SLR >= 3 and < 5 | 70% | 7,019 | |
| 6 | SLR >= 5 | 83% | 7,423 | |
| 10 | SLR unknown | 27% | 4,790 | |
| All | 28% | 106,447 |
For pig and poultry sectors, an additional data collection exercise was run to collect data from a central point for some of the largest companies. Cattle results are sourced from the Cattle Tracing System (CTS). The data include returns from all holdings with cattle so are not subject to survey error.
2.2 Data analysis
The data are subject to rigorous validation checks which identify inconsistencies within the data or large year-on-year changes. Any records that have not been cleaned by the results production stage are excluded from the analysis.
Population totals are estimated for each question on the survey to account for the non-sampled and non-responding holdings. This survey uses the technique known as ratio raising, in which the trend between the sample data and base data (previous year’s data) is calculated for each stratum. The calculated ratio is then applied to the previous year’s population data to give England level estimates. For holdings where we do not have base data (new holdings or long-term non-responders) the sample estimates are raised according to the inverse sampling fraction.
2.3 Confidence indicators
Confidence intervals and tick based indicators are shown alongside all of our estimated figures and can be found in the data tables within the dataset. These both help to show where there is more variability around results and highlight whether year-on-year changes are statistically significant or not. Whilst these are a useful indicator, they do not take into account any other sources of survey errors, such as non-response bias or administrative data errors.
2.4 Data notes
- All figures relate to commercial holdings.
- All percentage changes are based on unrounded figures.
- Totals may not necessarily agree with the sum of their components due to rounding.
- Proportional breakdown rounding may be adjusted to add up to 100%.
2.5 Data uses and users
Results from the June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture have a wide range of uses and users with requests for data being made on a frequent basis. A document providing information of specific uses and users can be found on our guidance and notes.
2.6 Other survey results and publications
The next releases from the June Survey will be UK results and are expected to be in December. The definitive publication date will be announced on the research and statistics webpage on gov.uk.
More detailed results from the June Survey can be found on our Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June web page. This includes various time series of crop areas and livestock numbers dating back as early as 1866 and detailed geographical breakdowns of the results.
2.7 Feedback
We welcome feedback and any thoughts to improve the publication further. Please send any feedback to: farming-statistics@defra.gov.uk.
Section 3 - What you need to know about this release
Contact details
Responsible statistician: Sarah Thompson
Team: Farming Statistics - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Email: farming-statistics@defra.gov.uk
Tel: 0300 060 0170
National Statistics Status
National Statistics status means that our statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value, and it is our responsibility to maintain compliance with these standards.
The continued designation of these statistics as National Statistics was confirmed in 2014 following a full assessment by the UK Statistics Authority against the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Since the last review of these statistics in 2014, we have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made improvements including:
- Reviewed and amended the validation checks carried out on response data including validation against new administrative data sources to better assure ourselves of the quality of the statistics.
- Enhanced trustworthiness by removing pre-release access.
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