Official Statistics

Total Income from Farming in the North West of England

Updated 10 October 2024

Applies to England

Figure 1.1: A map of England with the North West highlighted

ITL1 borders are shown on the full map of England on the left with the North West highlighted. The North West with the ITL3 borders shown is on the right of Figure 1.1.

Section 1: Key messages

  • TIFF in the North West in 2023 was £268 million, a decrease of £88 million (-25%) from 2022.

  • Total crop output in the North West in 2023 was £313 million, a decrease of £37 million (-11%) from 2022.

  • Total livestock output in the North West in 2023 was £1,907 million, a decrease of £69 million (-3%) from 2022.

  • Total intermediate consumption in the North West in 2023 was £1,590 million, a decrease of £9 million (-1%) from 2022.

Figure 1.2: TIFF from 2018 to 2023 in current prices for the North West

  • TIFF in the North West in 2023 was £268 million, a decrease of £88 million (-25%) from 2022.

  • In 2023, TIFF in the North West was the 3rd highest value in the last 6 years, with the highest value in 2022.

Section 2: Outputs and subsidies

2.1 Overview

Figure 2.1: Outputs and subsidies split by percentage from 2018 to 2023 for the North West

Notes:

  1. To improve clarity, the item ‘Inseparable non-agricultural activities’ has been renamed ‘Diversification’ from this release onwards.
  • Total livestock output has made the biggest contribution to outputs and subsidies in the North West in each of the past 6 years, contributing at least 68%. In 2023, Total livestock output contributed 73% of the £2,612 million total outputs and subsidies, the highest proportion of the past 6 years.

  • Subsidies have made up between 7% and 11% of the total outputs and subsidies in the past 6 years for the North West. In 2023, Subsidies made up 7% of total outputs and subsidies.

Figure 2.2: Outputs and subsidies split by percentage for the ITL2 regions of the North West in 2023

  • Cumbria had the highest value for outputs and subsidies in the North West in 2023 with a value of £1,086 million, 42% of the total outputs and subsidies for the North West.

  • Merseyside had the lowest value for outputs and subsidies in the North West in 2023 with a value of £51 million, 2% of the total outputs and subsidies for the North West.

2.2 Crops

Figure 2.3: Breakdown of crop outputs in the North West in 2023 (£ million)

Item Name 2022 2023
Fresh vegetables 77 68
Plants and flowers 51 56
Wheat 76 52
Potatoes 28 42
Barley 61 41
Other crop products 16 15
Forage plants 10 14
Fruits 6 7
Oilseed rape 12 6
Protein crops 4 4
Sugar beet 2 3
  • The largest crop output in the North West in 2023 was Fresh vegetables with a value of £68 million, a decrease of £9 million (-12%) from 2022.

  • The largest increase in a crop item value in the North West in 2023 was in Potatoes, increasing by £13 million (46%) from 2022 to £42 million in 2023.

  • The largest decrease in a crop item value in the North West in 2023 was in Wheat, decreasing by £24 million (-31%) from 2022 to £52 million in 2023.

Figure 2.4: Total crop output for the ITL2 regions of the North West in 2023 (£ million)

ITL2 Name 2022 2023
Lancashire 129 119
Cheshire 103 92
Cumbria 65 54
Merseyside 37 33
Greater Manchester 15 15
  • Lancashire had the largest crop output of the ITL2 regions within the North West in 2023, at £119 million. This was a decrease of £10 million (-8%) from 2022.

  • Greater Manchester had the smallest crop output of the ITL2 regions within the North West in 2023, at £15 million. This was a decrease of less than £0.5 million (-3%) from 2022.

2.3 Livestock

Figure 2.5: Breakdown of livestock outputs in the North West in 2023 (£ million)

Item Name 2022 2023
Milk 1,066 987
Beef 253 267
Poultry 180 233
Mutton, lamb and goat 190 178
Gross fixed capital formation 192 129
Eggs 43 64
Pigmeat 33 34
  • The largest livestock output in the North West in 2023 was Milk with a value of £987 million, which was a decrease of £80 million (-7%) from 2022.

  • The largest increase in a livestock item value in the North West in 2023 was in Poultry, increasing by £52 million (29%) from 2022 to £233 million in 2023.

  • The largest decrease in a livestock item value in the North West in 2023 was in Milk. The second largest decrease was in Gross fixed capital formation, decreasing by £63 million (-33%) from 2022 to £129 million in 2023.

Figure 2.6: Total livestock output for the ITL2 regions of the North West in 2023 (£ million)

ITL2 Name 2022 2023
Cumbria 879 841
Lancashire 524 512
Cheshire 526 506
Greater Manchester 37 39
Merseyside 9 9
  • Cumbria had the largest livestock output of the ITL2 regions within the North West in 2023, at £841 million. This was a decrease of £39 million (-4%) from 2022.

  • Merseyside had the smallest livestock output of the ITL2 regions within the North West in 2023, at £9 million. This was an increase of less than £0.5 million (3%) from 2022.

2.4 Other outputs and subsidies

Figure 2.7: Other outputs and subsidies in the North West in 2023 (£ million)

Item Name 2022 2023
Subsidies (excluding tax) 179 175
Other agricultural activities 111 117
Diversification 96 101

Notes:

  1. To improve clarity, the item ‘Inseparable non-agricultural activities’ has been renamed ‘Diversification’ from this release onwards.
  • Other outputs and subsidies in the North West totalled £392 million in 2023, an increase of £6 million (2%) from 2022.

  • Subsidies excluding tax in the North West were £175 million in 2023, a decrease of £5 million (-3%) from 2022.

Section 3: Inputs and costs

3.1 Overview

Figure 3.1: Inputs and costs split by percentage from 2018 to 2023 for the North West

  • Total intermediate consumption has contributed at least 67% of total costs in the North West in each of the last 6 years. In 2023, Total intermediate consumption contributed 69% of the £2,306 million of inputs and costs.

  • Compensation of employees has made up between 9% and 10% of the total inputs and costs in each of the past 6 years for the North West. In 2023, Compensation of employees made up 9% of total inputs and costs.

Figure 3.2: Inputs and costs split by percentage for ITL2 regions in the North West in 2023

  • Cumbria had the highest total inputs and costs of the North West in 2023 with £964 million, 42% of the total inputs and costs in the North West.

  • Merseyside had the lowest total inputs and costs of the North West in 2023 with £38 million, 2% of the total inputs and costs in the North West.

3.2 Intermediate consumption

Figure 3.3: Breakdown of intermediate consumption in the North West in 2023 (£ million)

Item Name 2022 2023
Animal feed 814 795
Other goods and services 242 252
Total maintenance 147 160
Energy 133 131
Agricultural services 111 117
Veterinary expenses 51 51
Plant protection products 27 28
Fertilisers and soil improvers 39 27
Seeds and planting stock 27 24
  • The largest intermediate consumption in the North West in 2023 was Animal feed with a value of £795 million, a decrease of £18 million (-2%) from 2022.

  • The largest value increase in a cost in the North West in 2023 was in Total maintenance, which increased by £13 million (9%) from 2022 to £160 million in 2023.

  • The largest value decrease in a cost in the North West in 2023 was also in Animal feed. The second largest decrease was in Fertilisers and soil improvers, decreasing by £13 million (-32%) from 2022 to £27 million in 2023.

Figure 3.4: Total intermediate consumption for the ITL2 regions of the North West in 2023 (£ million)

ITL2 Name 2022 2023
Cumbria 643 649
Lancashire 455 444
Cheshire 439 435
Greater Manchester 35 37
Merseyside 27 25
  • Cumbria had the largest intermediate consumption of the ITL2 regions within the North West in 2023. This was an increase of £6 million (1%) from 2022 to £649 million in 2023.

  • Merseyside had the smallest intermediate consumption of the ITL2 regions within the North West in 2023. This was a decrease of £1 million (-5%) from 2022 to £25 million in 2023.

3.3 Other inputs and costs

Figure 3.5: Breakdown of other inputs and costs in the North West in 2023 (£ million)

Item Name 2022 2023
Total consumption of fixed capital 459 448
Compensation of employees 220 218
Rent and other associated costs 45 50
  • Other inputs and costs in the North West totalled £716 million in 2023, a decrease of £7 million (-1%) from 2022.

  • Compensation of employees in the North West was £218 million in 2023, a decrease of £2 million (-1%) from 2022.

TIFF in the regions of England