Output reaches a record high

Total output from farming increases to the highest value on record around £5.1 billion in 2025. Total output has been high in recent years, driven by strong market prices.

Livestock accounts for the largest portion of agricultural output, 58% of total output. Total output from livestock, including livestock products, is £2.93 billion in 2025.

Figure 2: Farm value of output, 2021 to 2025, current (nominal) prices.

Livestock sectors

Total output from finished livestock is worth around £1.7 billion in 2025, up 20% from £1.4 billion in 2024.

The largest sector is beef, making up 62% of finished livestock output. The beef sector is estimated to be worth around £1.1 billion in 2025, a 27% increase on 2024 and the highest on record as market prices increase. Meanwhile, the number of cattle finished in Scotland decreases by 5% compared to 2024.

The rest of this page reports in millions to provide better comparisons between smaller figures.

The second largest sector is milk and milk products. Milk output increases 9% to £617 million as production increases and prices remain high until the end of 2025.

Finished sheep and lambs value increases by 18% to £353 million in 2025. Output increases are driven by increases in market prices while a small decrease by 4% is seen in number of finished sheep and lambs.

The value of eggs decreases by 3% to £199 million. Production continues to favour free-range.

Pig output decreases in value by 8% to £145 million.

Meanwhile, poultry output increases by 3% to £104 million in 2025.

Figure 3: Main contributors to livestock output, 2024 and 2025, current (nominal) prices. Small contributors and capital formation are not included.

Crop sectors

A large increase is seen in the value of potatoes, increasing 15% to £432 million. Scottish data on potato prices are limited. This first estimate for potato value may be subject to revision as more data becomes available in future years.

Total cereal output decreases for a second year. Total output values are back to pre-2022 levels following the drop of market prices from exceptional highs in 2022 and 2023.

The largest cereal sectors, barley and wheat, are estimated at £294 million and £183 million in 2025.

Barley output value decreases by 18% compared to the previous year. This is driven by decreases in price and demand for human and industrial use, particularly in the brewing, malting and distilling sector.

Wheat output value increases by 15% as increases in volume outpace decreases in price. 2025 was a productive year for Scottish wheat, with increases in planting and a 20-year record high yield resulting in record production in Scotland.

Scottish vegetable and fruit sectors are estimated to be worth £242 million and £227 million in 2025. Vegetable output decreases in 2025 compared to the previous year as prices and total volume decrease for many crops. The value of the fruit sector increases in 2025 as prices and volumes of other fruits increase, while strawberry output remains relatively stable.

Figure 4: Contributors to crop output, 2024 and 2025, current (nominal) prices.

Table 2: Farm value of output, 2024 and 2025, current (nominal) prices and percentage change (current and real terms). Large subcategories are included only.