Farm nitrogen use efficiency

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), the ratio of nitrogen outputs to inputs, indicates the proportion of nitrogen used in the farm system in a given year. This is related to nitrogen balance and is a different way of measuring the relationship between outputs and inputs. This measure allows for better comparison across farms. NUE values should always be interpreted in relation to nitrogen surpluses and nitrogen outputs.

A higher nitrogen use efficiency typically indicates a more efficient use of nitrogen. but very high values may indicate unsustainable “soil mining”. The best range of NUE values depends on the type of farming activity as well as environmental conditions, livestock types and feed types.

Nitrogen use efficiency remains stable in 2024-25

Nitrogen use efficiency on the average farm increased by less than one percentage point to 33% in 2024-25.

Figure 7: Median farm nitrogen use efficiency (%) for the average farm, 2019-20 to 2024-25.

Estimates of nitrogen use efficiency vary by farm type.

For livestock farms, average nitrogen use efficiency was highest for lowland cattle and sheep in 2024-25, at 22%. This is a decrease of six percentage points compared with 2023-24, which was the highest figure in our timeseries for this farm type.

The average dairy farm had a nitrogen use efficiency of 17%, a decrease of two percentage points from the previous year.

Nitrogen use efficiency for the average cereal farm remained stable at 77%. For the average general cropping farm, nitrogen use efficiency was 79%, a decrease of eight percentage points.  

Mixed farms show an intermediate efficiency between arable and livestock farms and decreased by eight percentage points to 56% in 2023-24. 

The changes in nitrogen input and output between 2023-24 and 2024-25, that resulted in changes for both nitrogen balance and nitrogen use efficiency estimates, are discussed in Farm nitrogen balance. Farms engaged mostly in meat and milk production typically have much lower nitrogen use efficiency estimates than arable farms. Livestock based agriculture is inherently less nitrogen efficient than arable agriculture because only a small proportion of the ingested nitrogen by livestock ends up in useful nitrogen-containing produce.

Within a farm type, farms can also vary widely in their nitrogen use efficiency due to management practices and environmental conditions. This suggests that there may be scope for some farms to increase nitrogen use efficiency.

Average farm nitrogen use estimates are based on results from the Farm Business Survey (FBS) and weighted to represent all commercial sized farms in Scotland. Charts by farm type are available to explore on the Agriculture Statistics Hub.

Table 8. Median farm nitrogen use efficiency by farm type, 2023-24 and 2024-25.