Energy use on farms
Results from the Farm Business Survey, 2007/08
The latest National Statistics produced by Defra on energy use on farms were released on 22nd October 2009 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. These data were sourced from the 2007/08 Farm Business Survey and covered the physical quantities of energy-based inputs used on farm (eg fuel and fertiliser) as well as the extent of farming practices which have an impact on energy demand, such as minimal tillage and ploughing of grassland.
The key points from this release are:
- Fuel usage per hectare varies significantly, even within the same farm type.
- For example, on cereal farms it varies from under 10 litres to over 250 litres per hectare. Fourteen percent of cereal farms used less than 50 litres, and 9% used more than 150 litres.
- There were very large variations across farms in quantities of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium applied. For example, on cereal farms 5% applied less than 45kg N per ha, whilst 43% applied more than 150kg N per ha.
- Nitrogen application rate was highest on cereal farms and lowest on grazing livestock (beef and sheep) farms.
- Only 14% of farmers use minimum tillage cultivations to establish combinable crops, representing 19% of the combinable crops area.
- There was a large variation across farm types in uptake of minimum tillage - for example 31% of cereal farms adopt minimum tillage to some extent, but only 4% of dairy farms
Coverage: England
Geographic Breakdown: n/a
Next release date: TBA
For further information please e-mail: fbs.queries@defra.gsi.gov.uk or telephone:++44(0)207 238 1162
Additional information
Cranfield University have also published a report analysing the Defra Farm Business Survey energy module. The appendices to this report are available here.