Total income from farming estimates: 2018-2024
Total income from farming (TIFF) is the official measure of the profit gained by the agricultural industry in Scotland. It provides a breakdown of the value of farm production, support payments and costs. An Accredited Official Statistics publication for Scotland.
First published: 29 May 2025.
Additional tables released: 12 June 2025.
Part of
Value of output remains stable
Total output from farming is estimated to remain stable at just below £4.6 billion in 2024, a similar value to the previous year. This compares to a record high of just over £4.6 billion in 2022.
Livestock accounts for the largest portion of agricultural output, 56% of all total output. Total output from livestock, including livestock products, is £2.6 billion in 2024.
This is the first release of total income from farming since 2020 figures were released. While this section focuses on the most recent year, commentary on changes since 2020 is included in the section Total income from farming recovers.
Figure 2: Farm value of output, 2019 to 2024, current (nominal) prices.
Livestock sectors
Total output from finished livestock is £1.4 billion in 2024.
The rest of this page reports in millions to provide better comparisons between smaller figures.
The largest sector is beef, making up 59% of finished livestock output. The beef sector is estimated to be worth £836 million in 2024, a 2% increase on 2023 and a record high value as market prices remain strong despite a decrease in finished number of cattle.
The second largest sector is milk and milk products. Milk output increased 3% to £564 million.
Finished sheep and lambs decreased by 4% to £281 million in 2024, continuing to fall from a high in 2022. Despite strong market prices in 2024, numbers of finished sheep and lambs were down on the previous year.
The value of eggs continues to increase as egg prices climb and production favours free-range. The egg sector reaches a new high of £206 million in 2024, a 6% increase on the previous year.
Pig and poultry output is at a record high in 2024. Finished pigs increased in value by 15% to £155 million. The value of the poultry sector increased 5% to £101 million.
Figure 3: Main contributors to livestock output, 2023 and 2024, current (nominal) prices. Small contributors and capital formation are not included.
Crop sectors
A large increase is seen in the value of potatoes, increasing 37% to £371 million as market prices increase. Market prices for ware potatoes in recent years are based on Northern Ireland's agricultural market reports
Cereal crop outputs decreased in 2024, falling back towards 2021 levels after very high values in 2022 and 2023 as market prices reached exceptional highs. The largest cereal sectors, barley and wheat, were estimated at £360 million and £159 million in 2024.
Elsewhere in the sector, small decreases in 2024 are seen for vegetables and fruit. In the fruit sector this is driven by prices dropping from a record high in 2023, although prices remained strong. In the vegetable sector this is mostly the result of decreased prices compared to the previous year, but decreases in volumes were also seen for some crops. The vegetable and fruit sectors are estimated to be worth £204 million and £188 million in 2024.
Figure 4: Contributors to crop output, 2023 and 2024, current (nominal) prices.
Table 2: Farm value of output, 2023 and 2024, current (nominal) prices and percentage change (current and real terms). Large subcategories are included only.
| Measure (£ million) | 2023 current (nominal) prices | 2024 current (nominal) prices | Percentage change current (nominal) prices |
Percentage change real (2024) prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1) Total cereals |
659 |
555 |
-16% |
-19% |
|
Wheat |
217 |
159 |
-26% |
-29% |
|
Barley |
412 |
360 |
-13% |
-16% |
|
2) Total other crops |
430 |
511 |
19% |
14% |
|
Potatoes |
272 |
371 |
37% |
31% |
|
3) Horticulture |
459 |
460 |
0% |
-4% |
|
Vegetables |
211 |
204 |
-3% |
-7% |
|
Fruit |
190 |
188 |
-1% |
-5% |
|
a) Total Crops = 1+2+3 |
1,549 |
1,526 |
-1% |
-5% |
|
4) Livestock |
1,372 |
1,422 |
4% |
0% |
|
Beef |
817 |
836 |
2% |
-2% |
|
Sheep and lambs |
292 |
281 |
-4% |
-7% |
|
Pigs |
134 |
155 |
15% |
11% |
|
Poultry |
97 |
101 |
5% |
1% |
|
5) Store Livestock |
101 |
102 |
1% |
-3% |
|
6) Livestock products |
750 |
778 |
4% |
0% |
|
Milk |
547 |
564 |
3% |
-1% |
|
Eggs |
194 |
206 |
6% |
2% |
|
7) Capital Formation |
285 |
250 |
-12% |
-15% |
|
b) Total Livestock = 4+5+6+7 |
2,508 |
2,552 |
2% |
-2% |
|
8) Other Agricultural Activities |
125 |
114 |
-9% |
-12% |
|
9) Non-Agricultural Activities |
407 |
385 |
-5% |
-9% |
|
10) Gross Output = 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9 |
4,589 |
4,578 |
0% |
-4% |