Key Points

• In 2026, Scotland's total sole right agricultural area was 5.16 million hectares, accounting for 66% of the total land area.
• The area used to grow winter crops increased by 6.9% compared with the five-year average. Spring crops decreased by 16%, driven by a large fall in spring barley.
• The total area used to grow cereals and oilseeds was 447,700 hectares, 5.4% below the five-year average.
• The total soft fruit area reached its lowest level since 2015 at 1,800 hectares, largely due to a decrease in strawberry production.
• The total number of cattle increased for the first time since 2021 to 1.67 million (up 0.7% from 2025).
• Sheep numbers fell by 2.2% compared with the five-year average to 6.50 million, and poultry fell by 4.4% to 11.88 million.
• The total number of pigs increased for first time since 2022 to 327,700 but remains 1.2% below the five-year average.
• The total agricultural workforce was 66,100 people in 2026, a decrease of 1.0% (or 700 people) when compared with the previous year and a decrease of 1.5% when compared with the five-year average.
• There is very low uptake of methane-reducing feed supplements. Around 0.1% of respondents reported using Bovaer® (DSM) or SilvAir™ (Cargill).
• Attitudes towards peatland restoration were generally neutral, and “lack of information” is the most commonly reported barrier to restoration.