Cover page

AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND AND

TURKMENISTAN
Farm Business Survey

The Farm Business Survey (FBS) provides information on the financial, physical and
environmental performance of farm businesses in England to inform and evaluate
policy decisions. The FBS is intended to serve the needs of farmers, farming and
land management interest groups, government, government partners and

Introduction
researchers. Survey results typically give comparisons between groups of
businesses, for example between regions or between types of farm.
 Farm
Farm Performance
Performance
 Farm Performance
Summary – Farm Performance
Summary – Farm
In England in 2017, a small number
of economically large farms (8%)
produced over half (57%) the
agricultural output using just 33% of
performance
the total farmed land area.  regardless of farm size. However,
Farms can maximise their outputs
by responding to the market, such
as by ensuring their outputs
conform to processor safety
requirements and quality
specifications, therefore reducing
wastage and increase prices
achieved.
Farm Performance and Productivity Pack
Farm Accounts
Over the three year period 2016/17
to 2018/19 in England, the highest
performing 25% farms have a
similar level of performance
the gap between the top and bottom
25% is greater for smaller farms.
Routes to improving farm
performance include reducing
inputs, such as by feed efficiency or
nutrient management, maximising
the value of outputs by improving
animal and plant health or the
marketability of outputs, or
alternative routes like
diversification.
Productivity
Differences achieved in input and outputs
values is one reason for differences in farm
performance. As a result of differences in
input and output values achieved, for every
£100 spent by Lowland Grazing Livestock
farms, those in the top 20% made on
average £161 compared to £87 for farms in
the bottom 20%.
Over the three year period 2016/17 to
2018/19, two thirds of farms (62%) in the
bottom 10% by profitability undertook a
diversified activity, compared with three
quarters (75%) in the top 10%. Of those
farms that had a diversified activity, the
bottom 10% made, on average, £43/ha,
compared with £223/ha for farms in the
top 10%.
In England in 2017, a small number of economically large farms (8%) produced over half (57%) the
agricultural output using just 33% of the total farmed land area.  

Slide 2.1 - In England how is the

Economic Size
Classification
Standard Output
Very Small

Under €25K
Small

€25K to €125K
Medium

€125K to €250K
Large

€250K to €500K
Very Large

At least €500K

economic output distributed Total:

93,400

across the number of farms?

% total Farm
Businesses 41% 30% 12% 9% 8% Farm
Businesses
Number of farm 38,700 28,200 10,800 8,600 7,100
businesses
Total:
€16,400
million
estimated
output
% of total
Output
2% 11% 12% 18% 57%
Total:
9.1
Million
% total Farmed Area hectares
(thousand Hectares) 7% 21% 18% 21% 33%

1.1
 Slide 2.2 - How does the
Over the three year period 2016/17 to 2018/19 in England, the highest performing 25% farms have a similar
level of performance regardless of farm size. However, the gap between the top and bottom 25% is greater

economic size of a farm

for smaller farms.
Ratio of the average output costs and average input costs for whole farm
business for the top 25% of farms, middle 50% (25%-75%) and bottom 25% of
Very small farm businesses show the farms by economic size

affect its performance in

largest difference in performance between
top 25% and bottom 25%, but the average 1.50
performance of the top 25% is similar to
larger farms.

England?
Farm sizes are based on the estimated
Standard Labour Requirements (SLR) for
the business, not its land area.
1.00

SLR is defined as the theoretical number of 0.50

workers required each year to run a Bottom 25%
business, based on its cropping and Middle 50%
livestock activities. For more information on Top 25%
how SLR is defined (see slide 3.4). A ratio of 1 means the outputs = inputs
0.00
Very small Small Medium Large Very Large
Economic farm size bands

Ratio of economic performance,

top 25% vs bottom 25%: 2.1 1.9 1.7 1.5 1.4

1.2
 Slide 2.4 – How can farms maximise
Farms can maximise their outputs by responding to the market, such as by ensuring their outputs conform to
processor safety requirements and quality specifications, therefore reducing wastage and increase prices

their outputs?
achieved.
Understanding the market
Meeting quality specifications can maximise the price of the
product.

Safety requirements
Farm businesses can maximise their returns by minimising the
loss of saleable products.
Livestock sold for slaughter must be fit for human
consumption. Anything that doesn’t meet safety requirements
will be rejected, resulting in reduced returns and possible non-
payments to farmers. Many losses are avoidable through
disease management and welfare practices. For example,
liver fluke (parasitic worms) can be avoided through
vaccination programmes and bruising avoided through taking
greater care of animals during transit.
Losses can also be avoided in other sectors.
For example, knowing the hygiene requirements of a dairy
contract can avoid hygiene deductions, and following
protocols to ensure mycotoxin levels are low enough in
cereals can ensure standards are met.
Abattoirs require animals that satisfy certain fat and weight
specifications to meet consumer demands. However, 49% of
prime beef fails to meet target market specifications.
Knowing the market means that cattle of the appropriate
breed, weight and specification can be reared to maximise
returns.
Securing more favourable contracts may help maximise prices
paid or highlight problematic clauses, to ensure the farmer
gets the best deal. Dairy contracts, for example, can have
different standards for fat and protein levels, affecting the price
by up to 0.75p/litre.

1.4
What are the routes to improving farm performance?
Slide 2.5 – What are the routes to
Routes to improving farm performance include reducing inputs, such as by feed efficiency or nutrient
management, maximising the value of outputs by improving animal and plant health or the marketability of
improving farm performance?Alternative Options
outputs, or alternative routes such as diversification.

Reducing Inputs Increasing Outputs

Diversification
Monitoring Input Use Controlling Livestock Improving Improving Marketability Over the three year period
Crop and livestock inputs and plant disease can Animal & Plant of Outputs 2016/17 to 2018/19, for the
represent 84% of variable help farmers to reduce Health Farms can maximise their 70% of farms that had
costs to farms, which may input costs, such as Poor animal and outputs by responding to diversified, the average
be reduced by improving veterinary medicines or plant health can the market, such as by additional income from
feed efficiency, selective plant protection decrease ensuring their outputs diversification was £19,800.
breeding of animals and/or products. productivity and conform to processor (see slide 2.6).
following a detailed crop increase safety requirements and
nutrient management plan. emissions, such quality specifications, Environmental Land
as greenhouse therefore reducing Management System (ELM)
gases, associated wastage and increase Farms may be able to use
with production. prices achieved some of their agricultural land,
(see slide 2.4). in particular the less productive
land, to deliver environmental
benefits through a new ELM
system.

1.5
 Farm
Farm Accounts
Accounts
Summary – Farm Accounts

Income from agriculture can be

volatile, as farm businesses are Many farmers put the farming
price-takers and the determinants of lifestyle as being more important to
the prices they receive can be out of them than maximising profits. Many
their control. Income from Direct farms are also asset rich, with

Summary – Farm accounts

Payments, agri-environment owner occupied farms averaging a
schemes and diversification tends net worth of £1.84m.
to be more stable.

Farm Business Income (FBI) varies Farm Business Income varies by

across the different regions of
England, and on average over the
three year period 2016/17 to
2018/19 the East of England had
the highest FBI (£61,800) and the
South West the least (£38,800).
farm size, and over the three year
period 2016/17 to 2018/19 part time
and small farms were more reliant
on Direct Payments and very large
farms the least.
Summary – Farm Accounts

Summary – Farm accounts

Over the three year period 2016/17
to 2018/19 mixed – mainly tenanted
farms had the highest farm
business income (£68,300) and
owner occupied farms the lowest
Over the three year period 2016/17
to 2018/19, only the top 50% of
farms made a profit from
agriculture. The bottom 25% of
farms made a loss of £27,000 from

cont.
(£33,700). agriculture, and overall made a loss
of £7,300.

On average, over the three year period
2016/17 to 2018/19, grazing livestock
farms in Severely Disadvantaged Areas
made a greater loss from farming
activities, but Farm Business Income for
these was higher than grazing livestock
farms generally due to greater income
from Direct Payments and agri-
environment schemes.
Agriculture is important for rural
areas, especially in the rural
uplands, accounting for around 15%
of registered businesses and 8% of
employment across all rural areas,
which rises to 30% and 14%
respectively in rural uplands areas.
Over the three year time period
2016/17 to 2018/19, 2/3rds of farms
used farm resources to deliver non-
agricultural activities, generating
around £623 million additional profit
(£15,600 average per farm).
AGRICULTURE OF TURKMENISTAN
Agriculture in Turkmenistan is a significant
Although Turkmenistan was formerly the world's 10th
sector of the economy, in 2019 contributing
largest cotton producer, exports have fallen in recent
11.7% of the GDP and employing 40% of the
years. This is due in part to the environmental
workforce. However, only 4% of total land area
difficulties of irrigation in a desert environment.
is cultivated.Because of the arid climate,
Cotton cultivation in Turkmenistan required a large
irrigation is necessary for nearly all cultivated
amount of water to be diverted from the 
land. The two most significant crops by area
Amu Darya river and also introduced a great deal of

Summary - Productivity
planted are wheat (761,300 hectares) and 
fertilizer into the river. As a result, cotton cultivation
cotton (551,100 hectares).[3] Citrus fruits, dates
in Turkmenistan is one of the factors causing the
, figs, melons, pomegranates, olives, and 
drying up of the Aral Sea. A second factor was the
sugarcane are grown in some parts of the
2019 policy decision to halt exports of raw cotton in
country. Sesame and pistachios are also grown
favor of exporting textiles and ready-made garments.
in smaller quantities.

Up to 1991, agriculture in Turkmenistan (then the Turkmen SSR), as in all other Soviet

Animal husbandry is important, despite the arid climate,
which presents difficulties in producing sufficient
livestock feed. The largest subsector is sheep herding
(usually of the Karakul breed) which are primarily raised
for wool and skins. Poultry, cattle, goats, camels, and
swine are also raised. The Akhal-Teke horse is also raised
in Turkmenistan, and is a source of national pride. It is
featured on the coat of arms of Turkmenistan.
Production of major field crops, such as cotton and
wheat, is predominantly by state order, in accordance
with central planning.
 republics, was organized in a dual system, in which large-scale collective- and 
state farms coexisted in a symbiotic relationship with quasi-private individual farming on
subsidiary household plots. The process of transition to a market economy that began in
independent Turkmenistan after 1992 led to the creation of a new category of midsized 
peasant farms, known as daýhanlar or dayhan farms between the small household plots
and the large farm enterprises. In 2002 there were more than 5,000 such private farms
in Turkmenistan, operating on 81,000 hectares. The former collective and state farms
were transformed in 1996-1997 into associations of leaseholders. So-called “peasant
associations” (Turkmen: daýhan birlişigi) were summarily organized by presidential
decree in place of the traditional collective and state farms, and each association was
instructed to parcel out its large fields to individual leaseholders (typically heads of
families). 
 Area, yield and production of fruit
2017 2018 2019
Area
under
fruits and 21.5 22.2 23.8
berries,
thousand
hectares
of which
mature 14.5 15.5 15.5
plantings

Summary – Productivity
Crop production, thousand metric tons
productio
2017 2018 2019 n, 188.5 189.0 192.2
thousand
Cereals tonnes
and 1,767.1 1,245.2 1,841.9
legumes yield,

cont.
tonnes per 13.02 12.21 12.40
wheat 1,587.8 1,086.5 1,654.0 hectare

Cotton 1,108.5 1,101.1 1,110.0

Vegetable 839.5 847.0 882.7
s Livestock product output, 2015-2019
curcurbits 427.2 446.5 461.3
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
potato 354.7 359.7 382.4
Meat
Forage (slaughter
and weight), 328.8 333.4 338.2 340.0 346.6
silage 122.0 103.3 57.5 thousand
tonnes
maize
Hay from Milk,
thousand 2,386.8 2,396.3 2,400.7 2,413.8 2,423.6
annual 7.7 2.3 4.4 tonnes
grasses
Eggs, 1,181.4 1,207.6 1,293.4 1,391.3 1,438.3
millions
Hay from
perennial 55.8 46.8 54.8
Wool (raw
grasses weight),
41.6 41.7 42.2 42.3 42.8
thousand
tonnes

Honey, 815.3 815.5 839.0 850.2 853.0

tonnes
Controversy over production statistics

Opposition press reports in 2019 indicated that published official statistics

may be inflated for wheat and cotton. Citing anonymous sources
providing unpublished data, opposition media reported 2018 cotton
production as only 450 thousand tonnes, and wheat production of only
538 thousand tonnes, of which 30% was unfit for human
consumption.These allegations of actual underfulfilment of plan targets
have been indirectly supported by presidential reprimands issued to the
ministers of agriculture and their colleagues in the agricultural
bureaucracy for poor performance, though without specific cause.The
allegations were also supported by reports of shortages of food and of
fertilizer.
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ATTENTION!!!