Crop areas in England sourced from Basic Payment Scheme compared to areas from the Defra June Survey of Agriculture, 2015-2023
Updated 8 February 2024
Applies to England
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This release presents the crop areas claimed under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2023 compared to the previously published official crop areas from the Defra June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture. The accompanying dataset includes geographical breakdowns and a data series back to 2015.
BPS 2023 is the final year applications are required to be submitted and no BPS data will be available for comparison with the results of the Defra June Survey of Agriculture in the future. As a result, this statistical notice and time series will no longer be updated.
Definitions
- Area claimed under BPS: These areas are sourced from BPS claim forms in England and use the total field area, rather than the area eligible for payments (total field area is more comparable to the June Survey areas). Crop codes for each field parcel have been matched to the relevant category.
- Official June Survey area: These areas are sourced from the Defra June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture, a survey sent to a representative sample of all farms in England (the source of National Statistics on crops areas).
There are genuine reasons why the crop areas from the two sources may not be identical:
- Thresholds and Coverage: The June Survey includes a greater number of smaller farms than BPS. Whereas some farm types, such as horticulture, poultry and pig farms are much less likely than other farm types to claim BPS.
- Survey vs administrative data: There is an element of uncertainty associated with any sample survey. For wheat this is generally +/-2% of the published area (shown at the time of publication). Administrative data is a by-product of administrative processes and as such was not originally designed for statistical purposes
- Processes: BPS claim forms are pre-populated with the previous years figures whereas June Survey forms are not; this potentially means that some switching between similar crops is not captured in the BPS data. Data validation processes also differ since the two datasets are intended for two unique purposes.
- Definitions: BPS crop codes and June survey categories are not directly comparable, although care has been taken to ensure comparability where possible. Differences in definitions are discussed throughout this release and can be found in Annex A.
For further details on the strengths and limitations of the two data sources see the Metadata sections.
Section 1 - Detailed results
Total area
The total area on agricultural holdings claimed under BPS in 2023 was just over 9.1 million hectares. This was similar to the official June Survey total area of 9.0 million hectares, differing by around 137 thousand hectares (1.5%). This has broadly been the case in recent years (Figure 1) with the difference ranging from 0.7% to 2.8%.
Figure 1: Total area on agricultural holdings: 2020 to 2023
| Year | Total area-BPS | Total area-June Survey |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9,231,124 | 9,080,349 |
| 2021 | 9,229,421 | 8,975,549 |
| 2022 | 9,162,886 | 9,098,253 |
| 2023 | 9,135,608 | 8,998,612 |
The total crops area claimed under BPS in 2023 was 3.8 million hectares. This area has remained broadly similar to the equivalent June Survey area in recent years (Figure 2) and differing by around 12 thousand hectares (0.3%) in 2023. Both sources saw decreases in the total area of crops between 2022 and 2023.
Figure 2: Total crops area: 2020 to 2023
| Year | Total crops-BPS | Total crops-June Survey |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,779,393 | 3,803,213 |
| 2021 | 3,877,405 | 3,876,460 |
| 2022 | 3,849,962 | 3,864,517 |
| 2023 | 3,818,578 | 3,806,397 |
1.2 Cereals
The cereal area claimed under BPS in 2023 was approximately 2.5 million hectares, differing from the June survey by 66 thousand hectares (-2.6%). Within cereals, the area of wheat claimed under BPS was 1.6 million hectares and the area of barley was 764 thousand hectares (Figure 3). These areas continued to be lower than the official June Survey areas, differing by 0.8% and 4.5% respectively in 2023. The scale of change seen between 2022 and 2023 for all cereal crops was broadly similar across both sources.
Figure 3: Cereal areas: 2022 and 2023
| Source | Wheat | Barley | Oats | Other cereals | Total cereals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPS-2022 | 1,633,760 | 763,552 | 129,862 | 52,072 | 2,579,246 |
| June Survey-2022 | 1,667,962 | 782,081 | 139,924 | 58,573 | 2,648,540 |
| BPS-2023 | 1,567,179 | 763,649 | 122,990 | 48,409 | 2,502,227 |
| June Survey-2023 | 1,579,618 | 799,289 | 134,063 | 55,320 | 2,568,290 |
1.3 Crops for stockfeeding and crops for human consumption
The BPS crop codes do not distinguish between crops for stockfeed and crops for human consumption whereas the June Survey categories do. Some of the main differences in definitions seen across sections 1.4 to 1.6 are described below:
- Beet crops - BPS includes all beet crops regardless of use as stockfeed or not; the June Survey includes only sugar beet not used for stockfeeding.
- Other crops mainly for stockfeeding - BPS excludes all beet crops, fruit and vegetables; the June Survey includes any beet crops, fruit and vegetables used for stockfeeding.
- Fruit and vegetables - BPS includes all fruit and vegetables regardless of use as stockfeed or not; the June Survey excludes fruit and vegetables used for stockfeeding.
1.4 Arable crops not for stockfeeding
The area of arable crops not for stockfeeding claimed under BPS in 2023 was 661 thousand hectares which was 85 thousand hectares (14.7%) more than the official June Survey area. Most of this difference is due to other arable crops not for stock feeding and beet crops, where the areas claimed under BPS differed from the official June Survey areas by 54 thousand and 19 thousand hectares respectively. These differences are likely due to the strengths and limitations of the two data sources Section 2 and the differing definitions Section 1.3.
The areas of potatoes and oilseed rape from each source are more closely aligned, differing by just 3.2% and 2.4% respectively in 2023 (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Areas of arable crops not for stockfeeding: 2022 and 2023
| Source | Potatoes | Oilseed rape | Beet crops | Other arable crops not for stockfeeding | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPS-2022 | 92,446 | 314,109 | 106,009 | 106,456 | 619,020 |
| June Survey-2022 | 93,422 | 322,786 | 91,225 | 63,218 | 570,651 |
| BPS-2023 | 84,968 | 350,671 | 118,720 | 106,615 | 660,974 |
| June Survey-2023 | 82,371 | 342,372 | 99,283 | 52,120 | 576,146 |
1.5 Crops mainly for stockfeeding
The area of crops mainly for stockfeeding (including all peas and field beans) claimed under BPS in 2023 was 528 thousand hectares, compared to the official June Survey area of 574 thousand hectares, a difference of 46 thousand hectares (-8.0%). For the purposes of comparison, we have included all peas and field beans (regardless of use as stockfeed or not) within this category for both data sources.
This difference is largely due to other crops mainly for stockfeeding, where the area claimed under BPS is over 30 thousand hectares less than the official June survey area of 57 thousand hectares. This is likely due to the differing definitions used for each data source Section 1.3. The areas of peas and maize also differed between sources whereas the area of field beans was broadly similar and differed by just 0.9%.
1.6 Horticultural crops
The area of horticultural crops (excluding all peas and field beans) claimed under BPS in 2023 was 127 thousand hectares which was 39 thousand hectares (45%) more than the official June survey area of 88 thousand hectares. For the purposes of comparison, we have excluded all peas and field beans within this category for both data sources. This difference is almost all due to the area of fruit and vegetables which includes areas for stockfeeding in the areas claimed under BPS but not in the June Survey areas Section 1.3.
1.7 Fallow land and grassland
The area of fallow land claimed under BPS in 2023 was lower than the official June Survey area by 127 thousand hectares. The definition of fallow differs slightly between the two datasets, see Annex A.
The total area of grassland claimed under BPS in 2023 was almost 4.5 million hectares. This differs from the official June survey area by 3.1%. However, the areas of temporary and permanent grassland within this total differ between the two sources (Figure 5). This is most likely due to the purposes for which the data is collected. The BPS data collection is concerned with total eligible areas for payment purposes and not the differences between types of grassland. The June Survey collects data on grassland areas split by when grass was last sown and checks are carried out to ensure grassland has been recorded under the correct category for the purposes of calculating national areas.
Figure 5: Permanent and temporary grassland areas: 2022 and 2023
| Source | Temporary grassland | Permanent grassland | Total grassland |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPS-2022 | 594,191 | 3,884,913 | 4,479,103 |
| June Survey-2022 | 785,529 | 3,642,976 | 4,428,505 |
| BPS-2023 | 625,129 | 3,851,683 | 4,476,812 |
| June Survey-2023 | 803,448 | 3,537,201 | 4,340,649 |
1.8 Other land
The area of woodland claimed under BPS was 503 thousand hectares in 2023. This was 105 thousand hectares (26%) more than the official June Survey area of 398 thousand hectares. The BPS area will include any woodland within land parcels, no matter how small. Whereas it is possible that the June Survey is not capturing all of these small woodland areas separately. Some very small areas may be recorded under the main use of the field.
The area of non-agricultural land claimed under BPS in 2023 was 183 thousand hectares which was 11 thousand hectares (6.1%) more than the official June Survey area of 173 thousand hectares. For further details on the strengths and limitations of the two data sources see the Metadata sections Section 2.
Section 2 - Metadata: Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)
This dataset comprises field areas of crops claimed under the Basic Payment Scheme each year. Crop codes provided on the BPS forms have been grouped and matched to the June Survey categories as closely as possible. Farms must have at least 5 hectares of eligible land to claim under BPS.
2.1 Strengths of the data
The total land area should be accurate as farmers can be penalised if they over/under declare their land area or provide incorrect cropping details. Once their claim has been submitted, it undergoes a series of validation checks in the Rural Payment system. These checks include checking the size of the land parcels, the ownership of each parcel and the land cover. A proportion (approximately 5%) of claims are selected randomly for inspection to ensure they are claiming the correct land and crops. It includes data from individual land parcels with accompanying grid references which accurately identifies the land location and means that it is very robust at low geographic levels.
2.2 Limitations of the data
The data is only available from 2015 so the time series is short. The BPS data is validated for the purpose of making correct payments to farmers and as such is concerned with total eligible areas and not individual crop areas. This means that any discrepancies between similar crops e.g. wheat and barley are unlikely to be picked up in the validation. BPS claim forms are pre-populated with the previous year’s figures, reducing the need for farmers to re-calculate their areas year on year. At date of publication, 99.8% of 2023 claims had been processed so totals may change slightly once the process is complete.
The BPS data only includes data from farms that make a claim, the statistics are therefore dependent on the number claiming in any year and could underestimate as claimant numbers reduce. The table below illustrates a steady decrease in claimant numbers. However, changes in claimant numbers could be a result of structural change, rather than under-coverage.
Table 1: Number of claimants and field areas claimed for under BPS, 2015-2023
| Year | Number of claimants | Total area (ha) | Crops (ha) | Grassland (ha) | Other (ha) | Crops % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 87,575 | 9,124,246 | 3,858,155 | 4,482,578 | 783,513 | 42% |
| 2016 | 86,062 | 9,015,911 | 3,846,504 | 4,405,059 | 764,347 | 43% |
| 2017 | 85,371 | 9,155,892 | 3,926,753 | 4,453,381 | 775,758 | 43% |
| 2018 | 84,335 | 9,182,007 | 3,902,807 | 4,447,594 | 831,605 | 43% |
| 2019 | 84,281 | 9,215,930 | 3,927,679 | 4,480,207 | 808,044 | 43% |
| 2020 | 84,423 | 9,231,124 | 3,779,393 | 4,505,829 | 945,901 | 41% |
| 2021 | 84,389 | 9,229,421 | 3,877,405 | 4,521,202 | 830,814 | 42% |
| 2022 | 84,040 | 9,162,886 | 3,849,962 | 4,479,103 | 833,820 | 42% |
| 2023 | 83,360 | 9,135,608 | 3,818,578 | 4,476,812 | 840,218 | 42% |
Section 3 - Metadata: June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture
This is an annual survey of between 25,000 and 55,000 holdings in England (population approximately 105,000 holdings) with a typical response rate of 70%. A full census is conducted every decade, with the last being run in 2021. The survey collects detailed data on crop areas, livestock numbers and the farm labour force. Farms must have at least 5 ha of agricultural land, 1 ha of orchards, 0.5 ha of vegetables or 0.1 ha of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry to be included in the June Survey population.
3.1 Strengths of the data
The June Survey of Agriculture has a long running time series providing a long-term view of changes to the agriculture industry. It is unaffected by changes in administrative data reporting or subsidy systems, and it collects information on all aspects of the farm activity. The response rate is high, usually around 70%, and is closely monitored to ensure that it is not concentrated in particular types of farms in order to minimise the possibility of bias.
The data are subject to rigorous validation checks which identify inconsistencies within the data or large year-on-year changes. Any records still “in error” by the results production stage are excluded from the analysis. This survey uses the technique known as ratio raising to give England level estimates, in which the trend between the sample response data and previous year’s data is calculated for each group of holdings (based on size). The calculated ratio is then applied to the previous year’s population data. The June survey is the source of National Statistics on crop areas in England, this means these statistics have been badged as meeting high professional standards and they undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs.
3.2 Limitations of the data
As with all sample surveys, the estimates that are derived are subject to sampling error and we provide confidence intervals as a measure of uncertainty that may apply to the estimated totals within the June Survey Statistics Release. The farm location is based on a central grid point so all of the land and livestock is attributed to this one location. This makes precise geographical estimates less reliable than other systems.
Section 4 - What you need to know about this release
Further information
The full BPS data series for 2015-2023 including geographical breakdowns is available here
Basic Payment Scheme:
Information about the Basic Payment Scheme
June Survey:
Information about the June Survey
Feedback
We welcome feedback and any thoughts to improve the publication further. Please send any feedback to: farming-statistics@defra.gov.uk.
Contact details
Responsible statistician: Will Drabble
Team: Farming Statistics - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Email: farming-statistics@defra.gov.uk.
An Official Statistics publication
The BPS crop areas are Official Statistics in Development which have not met the quality criteria for Official Statistics badging. Official Statistics in development were previously called ‘Experimental Statistics. These statistics are produced to the high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, which sets out 8 principles including meeting user needs, impartiality and objectivity, integrity, sound methods and assured quality, frankness and accessibility.
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You can read about how Official Statistics in Defra comply with these standards on the Defra Statistics website.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards using the contact details above. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
You can find details on official statistics on the Gov.uk website