Production across almost all Scottish agricultural sectors has fallen, according to results of the June 2018 agricultural census, revealing the impact of 2017’s poor back-end and 2018’s hard winter and summer drought.

NFUS livestock policy manager, John Armour said: “The four per cent decline in the breeding ewe population represents a worrying statistic which will clearly have an impact on the local economies of remote communities.

“The reduction in cattle numbers, while less significant year on year, demonstrates yet another period of decline for the national herd.

“The Government and actors in the supply chain must act to ensure that beef production in Scotland is supported and enhanced in future and halt the decline in the national herd.”

NFU Scotland crops policy manager, Peter Loggie said: “The areas planted in winter-sown cereals and oilseeds all fell from 2017 due to the poor planting conditions in autumn 2017, so those figures are not too surprising.

“Comparing the five years to 2017 the changes look a bit different.

“Wheat is down but by only 5%, spring barley down by 4% rather than being up, and oats up 10%, both winter and spring.

“Both the soft fruit and orchard fruit are up […]. However, the volume of fruit crops reaching consumers will not have fully reflected the increase in crop area as tonnes of fruit were lost because of the shortage of workers.”