Scottish farm business income: annual estimates 2024-2025
Farm business level estimates of average incomes for 2024-2025. An Accredited Official Statistics publication for Scotland.
First published: 26 March 2026.
Last updated 21 April 2026.
General cropping income falls slightly
Average income for general cropping farms is £165,300 in 2024-25. This is a decrease of 1% (£2,100) from the previous year’s figure of £167,500.
Figure 3: Average farm business income, general cropping and all farms, 2012-13 to 2024-25. 2024-25 prices.
General cropping farm incomes were supported by high potato outputs, driven by high prices. This contrasts with cereal farms, which saw a 28% drop in income driven by falls in wheat and barley output.
Total agricultural output on general cropping farms increased by 4% (£21,200) to £544,600. This increase was largely due to an increase in potato output of 8% (£21,600). General cropping farms also saw increases in barley, cattle and by-product outputs. Meanwhile, wheat output decreased by 33% (£22,300).
The increase in output was offset by a 4% (£18,000) increase in input costs to £433,300. This was driven mostly by increasing seed costs (by 89%, £16,500) and machinery depreciation (by 15%, £10,400). Meanwhile, fertiliser costs decreased by 19% (£11,500).
General cropping farms have a high average income compared to other farm types.
However, while some farms make large incomes, others make a loss. We can look at the average high (upper quartile) and low (bottom quartile) performers to understand the spread, or variance, in farm business income. In recent years, the widest variation in income is seen across general cropping farms. Low performing farms are losing on average £20,800 in 2024-25, while the high performers have an average income around £747,100.
Average income for general cropping farms is also considerably more volatile than for other farms. This reflects their greater exposure to wholesale market and weather fluctuations.
This report provides a correction to 2023-24 estimates for general cropping and average farm or “all farms” results. The correction includes data on potato outputs missed in the 2023-24 publication. More information is available under Data and methodology.
Table 3: Farm business income (FBI) and contributions to FBI, general cropping, 2023-24 and 2024-25. 2024-25 prices. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100 and percentage change is calculated from unrounded figures.
|
Measure |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
Percentage change |
|
1 Total output (£) = a + b |
543,800 |
562,200 |
3% |
|
a Agricultural output (£) |
523,500 |
544,600 |
4% |
|
b Contracting output (£) |
20,300 |
17,500 |
-14% |
|
2 Support payments income (£) = c - d |
40,400 |
39,800 |
-1% |
|
c Payment schemes (£) |
40,500 |
40,000 |
-1% |
|
d Payment scheme costs (£) |
100 |
200 |
102% |
|
3 Total input (£) = e + f |
425,300 |
446,300 |
5% |
|
e Agricultural input (£) |
415,300 |
433,300 |
4% |
|
f Contracting input (£) |
10,000 |
13,000 |
30% |
|
4 Diversification income (£) = g - h |
8,500 |
9,600 |
13% |
|
g Diversification output (£) |
20,500 |
19,700 |
-4% |
|
h Diversification input (£) |
11,900 |
10,100 |
-15% |
|
5 FBI (£) = 1 + 2 + 4 - 3 |
167,500 |
165,300 |
-1% |
|
6 Agricultural incomes = a - e |
108,200 |
111,300 |
3% |
|
7 Contracting income = b-f |
10,300 |
4,600 |
-56% |