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About Us

Providing trusted insight into farm businesses

The Farm Business Survey (FBS) is an independent research project that has been supporting agriculture for nearly 90 years. Established in 1936 to understand the financial conditions of farming, it has evolved into a key source of detailed, anonymised data on the physical and economic performance of over 1,500 farms across England each year.

Funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the FBS provides a robust evidence base for agricultural policy, farm benchmarking, academic research, and wider industry analysis – helping to shape a more resilient and informed future for farming in England.

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What information does the FBS hold?

The FBS captures data on costs, outputs, land use, labour, enterprise performance, and business structures across a representative sample of farms. This information helps to:

  • Track the performance and resilience of farm businesses
  • Inform agricultural policy and support schemes
  • Benchmark sector trends over time
  • Provide anonymised datasets for public use and research

Who is it for?

The survey is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of users, including:

  • Policymakers and government departments
  • Farmers and advisers interested in benchmarking
  • Researchers and academics studying agricultural economics
  • Industry groups and land management organisations
  • Students exploring sector trends and performance

Confidential and representative

Participation is voluntary and all data is collected under strict confidentiality protocols.

  • Individual farms are never identified
  • All outputs are anonymised and meet minimum sample size thresholds
  • The sample reflects farm type, size, and geography across England

Who delivers the FBS?

  • In England, the survey is delivered by Promar International on behalf of Defra
  • For details of who delivers the FBS in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland visit the Contact page
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Want to explore the data behind the reports?

You can explore this data yourself using the Farm Business Data Dashboard.

Visit the data dashboard