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Introduction

Published 13 June 2024

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/farm-practices-survey-february-2024/introduction

February 2024 Farm Practices Survey England

These results are from the February 2024 Farm Practices Survey, which focused on practices relating to greenhouse gas mitigation. The survey is usually 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
  • Farm health planning and biosecurity
  • Grassland and grazing
  • Livestock feeding regimes and breeding practices

Following a consultation, changes have been made to the survey design for some topics this year. The topics concerned are nutrient management, emissions, manure and slurry storage and grassland and grazing. Changes include the adding of new questions and revised response options for specific questions. You can find detailed information about the changes in the About these statistics (metadata) guide.

The accompanying dataset shows the 2024 results broken down by farm type, size and region, providing a more detailed look at how practices may vary depending on characteristics of the farm. The 2024 dataset can be found on GOV.UK.

The accompanying timeseries compares results for England with those from previous years, showing trends and changes over time.

Key points

  • Nutrient Management – 57% of holdings have a nutrient management plan and this proportion is similar to recent years.

  • Anaerobic digestion – 12% of farmers process waste by anaerobic digestion compared to 7% five years ago.

  • Emissions – 48% 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 – 78% of holdings spread manure or slurry on grass or arable land whereas 84% 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 with no cover (66%). For slurry, the two most common methods were above ground tanks with no cover and lined or unlined earth bank lagoons with no cover (31% each).

  • Farm health planning and biosecurity – 74% of livestock farmers have a Farm Health Plan. This has remained largely unchanged in recent years.

  • Grassland and grazing – 85% of livestock holdings sow some or all their temporary grassland with a clover mix. High sugar grasses were sown on 70% of livestock holdings with temporary grassland.

  • Livestock feeding regimes and breeding practices – 66% of holdings with livestock use a ration formulation programme or nutritional advice.

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