The quantity of agricultural land in England stands at 8.8 million hectares, or 68% of all land, in keeping with new statistics from the Division for Atmosphere, Meals and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The agricultural land use in England launch comprises the estimates of crop areas, land use and land possession on business agricultural holdings in England on June 1, 2023, from the June Survey of Agriculture.

The utilised agricultural space (UAA) contains all arable and horticultural crops; uncropped arable land; land used for outside pigs; short-term and everlasting grassland; and customary tough grazing.

The entire croppable space accounts for over half (55%) of the entire UAA in England, and noticed little change between 2022 and 2023 – remaining at just below 4.9 million hectares.

Everlasting grassland accounts for an extra 40% of UAA and has decreased by 2.9% to three.5 million hectares in 2023.

The realm of agricultural land owned in England decreased by 0.5% to only underneath 6.2 million hectares in 2023.

Land rented in for a yr or extra fell by 0.9% and now stands at just below 2.9 million hectares.

Crops

The entire space of arable crops noticed a 1.3% lower between 2022 and 2023, falling to only underneath 3.7 million hectares.

Cereals account for almost all (70%) of the entire arable crop space, overlaying just below 2.6 million hectares in 2023.

The realm of wheat decreased by 5.3% to 1.58 million hectares, while barley elevated by 2.2% to 799 thousand hectares.

The realm of oilseed crops elevated by 3.4% to 369,000ha in 2023. Oilseed rape accounts for 93% of this space and rose by 6.1% to 342,000ha in 2023.

Potatoes decreased by 12%, falling to 82,000ha in 2023.

The remaining arable crops coated 670,000ha. Area beans and maize collectively account for nearly two thirds of this space. Fields beans rose by 1.2% whereas maize noticed a bigger enhance of seven.5% between 2022 and 2023.

The realm of horticultural crops covers 117,000ha of land, a lower of 6.3% in comparison with 2022.