Sample survey of agriculture and forestry, 2003, final figures

131 million man-hours of a total of 142 million were spent in agriculture and horticulture. The labour input in forestry and supplementary services was 4.5 million and 6.3 million man-hours respectively. Supplementary industries include activities which utilise a holding's land, buildings or machinery. Labour input in forestry on properties without farming is not included in these figures.

The total labour input in agricultural holdings has fallen from 166 million man-hours in 1998/99 to 142 million man-hours in 2002/2003. This corresponds to 77 100 man-years in 2002/2003, compared with 88 500 in 1998/99.

The number of holdings has fallen from 70 700 in 1999 to 55 700 in 2004, or 3 000 holdings per year on average.

Tables:

• Table 1 Labour input in agriculture and horticulture, forestry and other supplementary industries on the holding, by county. 1 000 man-hours
• Table 2 Holdings. 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999-2004*
• Table 3 Holdings, by number of full-time equivalents employed in agriculture, horticulture and county