Growth in British agriculture: 1945 to present day.

Looking at the agricultural industry over the last 30 years one is immediately struck by three trends: the decline in the numbers of those engaged in the industry, the enlargement and increasing specialization of the average farm and the sustained growth in the volume of output over the period. Detailed statistics are not available for the whole postwar period but those that are available show that between 1946 and 1976 the numbers of full-time farmworkers fell by approximately two-thirds from 695 ooo to 2 I 3 000. While not fully comparable the statistics suggest that the total number of holdings declined by about 40% to 270000 and the unweighted average size of all farms rose 59% to 70 hectares. Over the period definitions have changed but it appears that in England and Wales the numbers of full-time farmers fell by h o s t 40% from 215 000 to 135 000 and the average size of full-time holdings (crops and grass) rose 75% from 40 hectares to about 70 hectares. On the output side the last 30 years have witnessed a doubling of the volume of agricultural output and a reduction in the average farm's mix of products. What is particularly remarkable is that this increased output has been accompanied by a consistently good quality and a continuance of the rich diversity of British agriculture comprising some fifteen major crops and products The purpose of this paper is to look briefly at some of the structural changes underlying this apparent paradox and to suggest how each has contributed to the industry's growth performance. Population, the main element of food demand prewar , continued to rise, but of more importance for the postwar period has been the secular decline in the magnitude of the food traded on the world market (in particular beef) together with the high level of employment and rising real income per head in the UK. This buoyant demand necessitated both an increase in production and foods of a uniform and high quality, but most importantly it had the advantage of providing a secure and stable market in which farmers could specialize and plan more easily for future production. However, although an important factor, the level of demand does not explain the decline in the labour force or the increase in the ratio, 0utput:input. To find an explanation we must look in more detail at the changes in …