Sector 'A'

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

Livestock and dairy farming is far more important than arable production in the broader Lancashire area. In 2013, 83.8% of the total agricultural area in the county was classified under the temporary and permanent grassland or rough grazing headings (England = 48.6%).

The top grade farming land in West Lancashire means that the area is a significant producer of field vegetables and crops under glass/plastic. The farming land allocated to fruit and vegetable production in West Lancashire represents 94% of the Lancashire total (64% of the North West total).

In terms of employment, the 2013 DEFRA food and farming statistics estimate a total Lancashire workforce (which includes farmers, managers, employees and casual labour) of some 10,000 people or about 3.4% of the England total.

National results highlight that total income from farming in 2013 was £5.6 billion. This represented a sizeable increase on 2012 when the figures were affected by particularly bad weather conditions. Total income from farming, per annual work unit of entrepreneurial labour was £28,426 in 2013.

The Fleetwood fishing industry is nowadays quite modest in comparison to its heyday, but fish processing is still an important local industry that relies on supplies arriving by road from ports across the country.

In September 2015, there were seven fishing vessels over 10 metres in length, and 55 under 10 metres, that had Fleetwood registered as their administrative port.

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Page updated October 2015