Farming in Scotland-Part 1

Some basic facts

75% of Scotland's area is farmland. Scotland’s farmers, crofters and growers produce output worth around £2.3 billion a year, £2.4 billion if whisky exports are included.

Around 65,000 people are directly employed in agriculture in Scotland – this represents around 8% of the rural workforce and means that agriculture is the third largest employer in rural Scotland after the service and public sectors.

It is estimated that a further 250,000 jobs (1 in 10 of all Scottish jobs) are dependent on agriculture.

Around 85% of Scotland is classified as Less Favoured Area. (shown in purple) This is because the land is steep, hilly, rocky, damp or with poor soil.
Or, the areas are very remote, and difficult to reach, eg islands, like the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many farms in North West Scotland, but these are much smaller in terms of the numbers of livestock/area of crops grown than farms elsewhere. Farms here are quite poor and the farmers need other jobs to earn money.

Sheep farming is the predominant type of farming in the North West and there are also many sheep farms in the south of the country. Larger cereal farms are concentrated in the east.

Beef farming takes place throughout Scotland, but is particularly common in the south west. This area also has the bulk of the dairy industry

Beef cattle

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For every worker employed in agriculture another three workers are employed elsewhere. These jobs are largely in agricultural supply, and in food and drink processing.

Baxters of Speyside is a good example of a food processing industry. They also have an outlet at Blackford on the A9.

 

Read about Baxters on their website, by clicking here

How many different farm outputs do they use in their processing business?