Horticultural crops cover 152 thousand hectares in 2022, falling by 5.8% since 2021. This area is mostly used to grow fruit and vegetables, which covered 92% of the total horticultural area.
The area of vegetables and salad for human consumption saw a decrease of 4.9% between 2021 and 2022 but still accounts for 70% of the total horticultural area. Orchards and small fruit together account for a further 21% of the horticultural area with hardy nursery stock and glasshouse accounting for the remaining 9%.
Agricultural Land Use in United Kingdom at 1 June 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
For horticulture farms average income rose by 15 percent in 2021/22 to £60,600, with a rise in the return from diversified activities the main driver. Higher output from tourism, building rental and renewable energy more than compensated for a fall in output from food processing and retailing.
The net contribution of diversified activities was £24,400, which equated to 40 percent of overall Farm Business Income on this type of farm. Agricultural output also increased, particularly for outdoor flowers and nursery stock, soft and top fruit, although there were losses on glasshouse flowers and nursery stock enterprises. Overall, variable costs rose by 7 percent and fixed costs by 6 percent. The Basic Payment was virtually unchanged compared to 2020/21, reflecting a slightly larger average farm area.