The Farm Practices Survey (FPS) asks questions about how farming practices in England are affected by current agricultural and environmental issues. Access the details here: Survey Findings and you can access the datasets here: Datasets
Key points
Nutrient Management – 69% of holdings have a nutrient management plan, an increase compared to 54% in 2022.
Anaerobic digestion – 15% of farmers process waste by anaerobic digestion compared to 8% in 2022.
Emissions – 47% of farmers are currently taking action to reduce GHG emissions from their farm. The two most popular actions were recycling waste materials from the farm and improving energy efficiency.
Fertiliser, manure and slurry spreaders – 79% of holdings spread manure or slurry on grass or arable land whereas 82% of holdings spread fertilisers on their grass and arable land.
Manure and slurry storage – the most commonly selected form of manure storage was “stored in the open on a field site without cover” (60%). For slurry, the most common method was “stored in above ground tanks without cover” (46%).
Grassland and grazing – 82% of livestock holdings sow some or all their temporary grassland with a clover mix. High sugar grasses were sown on 75% of livestock holdings with temporary grassland.
Livestock feeding regimes and breeding practices – 68% of holdings with livestock use a ration formulation programme or nutritional advice.