Agriculture in the United Kingdom permanently uses 71% of the country's land area (total and land area:94,058 mi², water 1.84%) , employs 1.5% of its workforce of 32,969,208 citizens (476,000 people) and contributes 0.62% of its gross value added (£9.9 billion). 36% of the agricultural land is croppable (arable), or 25% of the total land area. Most of the rest is grassland, rough grazing, or woodland. As of 2005, 2,280 sq km on the area is irrigated. The UK produces less than 60% of the food it eats. Low earnings, high land prices and a shortage of let farmland discourage young people from joining the profession. The average age of the British farm holder is now 59.
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United Kingdom's terrain is mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast, and the regional climates are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and latitude. Northern Ireland, Wales and western parts of England and Scotland, being closest to the Atlantic Ocean, are generally the mildest, wettest and windiest regions of the UK, and temperature ranges here are seldom extreme.
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Total Renewable Water Resources: 147 cu km
Total Freshwater Withdrawal: 13.0%
Per Person Freshwater Withdrawal: 213.2 cu m/yr
Natural hazards in the United Kingdom include winter windstorms and floods. The United Kingdom's current environmental issues continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015
Total Freshwater Withdrawal: 13.0%
Per Person Freshwater Withdrawal: 213.2 cu m/yr
Natural hazards in the United Kingdom include winter windstorms and floods. The United Kingdom's current environmental issues continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015
Crops commonly grown in the United Kingdom include cereals, chiefly wheat, oats and barley; root vegetables, chiefly potatoes and sugar beet; pulse crops such as beans or peas; forage crops such as cabbages, vetches, rape and kale; fruit, particularly apples and pears; and hay for animal feed.
Grassland is the UK's most important crop by area covering just over half of the entire UK landmass.
http://www.geo-east.org.uk/special_projects/biodiversity.htm In the UK there are three main approaches adopted by farmers in their farming system. These are defined as organic, conventional and integrated. Organic farming represents around 4% of the farmed area and is based upon the concept of sustainability utilising the farm's own resources. Conventional farming adopts modern technology and utilises other inputs such as pesticides and artificial fertilisers while integrated farming makes the conventional approach sustainable. Most conventional farmers practice integrated farming. This is an example on integrated farming.
http://www.farmingfutures.org.uk/future-skills/insect-farmer |
Silage is a form of conserved grass that is made by farmers during the summer months when the grass supply is plentiful and not required for grazing. Silage is fed to cattle and sheep during winter months.
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-agriculture-a-self-propelled-forage-harvester-harvests-hay-silage-85650843.html Barley is a grass with a swollen grain that is similar to wheat that can be ground to produce a flour suitable for the production of bread. However unlike wheat, barley has always been particularly important in the production of beers and ales. Although it is grown throughout most of the UK it is often the dominant arable crop in the north and west of Britain where growing conditions are most difficult and less favourable for wheat. Each year the UK produces around 6.5 million tonnes of barley.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/farmer-walking-through-barley-field-st-albans-stock-video-footage/89038841 |
Rolling is a surprisingly important operation that helps the establishment and growth of crops in the early stages of their growth.
http://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2008/sep/roller |