Economy

Agriculture

Shetlands 2023 agricultural census recorded:

  • 4,649 cattle
  • 293,907 sheep
  • 2,648 poultry
  • 963 horses and ponies
  • 1,996 people working in Shetland’s agriculture
  • 145,368 hectares of land used for agricultural purposes

During 2022 there was:

  • 75,631 animals sold through the Shetland auction ring
  • With the exception of pigs, far more livestock exported than imported
  • 313,725kg of wool and 1,323,152 litres of milk produced
  • 1 registered slaughter house, which slaughtered 3,692 sheep, 362 cattle and 314 pigs
  • 4 Food Standards Agency approved meat and animal produce establishments in Shetland
  • £11,514,407 paid out in assistance to Shetland agricultural holdings through the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID)