Introduction
Published 11 June 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/farm-practices-survey-february-2026/introduction
Farm Practices Survey England 2026
These results are from the February 2026 Farm Practices Survey. The survey is run annually and collects information on a diverse range of topics usually related to the impact of farming practices on the environment.
Results are presented at England level and the topics covered include:
- Nutrient management
- Anaerobic digestion
- Emissions
- Fertiliser, manure and slurry spreaders
- Manure and slurry storage
- Grassland and grazing
- Livestock feeding regimes and breeding practices
The accompanying timeseries compares results for England with those from previous years, showing trends and changes over time.
Key points
- Nutrient Management – 69% of holdings have a nutrient management plan, an increase compared to 54% in 2022.
- Anaerobic digestion – 15% of farmers process waste by anaerobic digestion compared to 8% in 2022.
- Emissions – 47% of farmers are currently taking action to reduce GHG emissions from their farm. The two most popular actions were recycling waste materials from the farm and improving energy efficiency.
- Fertiliser, manure and slurry spreaders – 79% of holdings spread manure or slurry on grass or arable land whereas 82% of holdings spread fertilisers on their grass and arable land.
- Manure and slurry storage – the most commonly selected form of manure storage was “stored in the open on a field site without cover” (60%). For slurry, the most common method was “stored in above ground tanks without cover” (46%).
- Grassland and grazing – 82% of livestock holdings sow some or all their temporary grassland with a clover mix. High sugar grasses were sown on 75% of livestock holdings with temporary grassland.
- Livestock feeding regimes and breeding practices – 68% of holdings with livestock use a ration formulation programme or nutritional advice.