Farmer Intentions Survey: Regional Dimensions to Change – Briefing Note 3

The UK’s proposed withdrawal from the European Union presents uncertainties regarding future agricultural support. This briefing note outlines the results of a survey of 2,494 farmers, crofters and smallholders, run during the summer of 2018, on differences between three geographical regions of Scotland: Southern Scotland; Eastern Scotland and the Highlands and Islands.
Findings reveal that household income from agriculture is substantially lower in the Highlands & Islands than in Eastern Scotland and Southern Scotland, whilst farmers and crofters in the Highlands & Islands are more likely to view Brexit as a challenge than an opportunity compared with those in Eastern Scotland and Southern Scotland.

Over 80 % of respondents in each region planned to make no changes to their output mix in the 2018-23 period. That said – the most popular changes regarding Brexit related to planned changes to farming systems, whilst the greatest variation proposed future actions between the regions was in relation to fixing prices with sellers and/or buyers.

This briefing note can be downloaded in full  below, and any questions or comments get in touch with us via our contact pages, or email Professor Andrew Barnes (andrew.barnes@sruc.ac.uk)  or Jenny McMillan (jenny.mcmillan@sruc.ac.uk)

Farmer Intentions Survey: Regional Dimensions to Change – Briefing Note 3

This work was funded under the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme under the Rural Industries work package, specifically the Resilience of rural economies to key external drivers (RD 2.4.1) and How rural economies can adapt to key external drivers (RD 2.4.2) work.