Yorkshire Day: North Yorkshire second in UK on area most reliant on farming

The agricultural contribution to the local economy for North Yorkshire was £607 per resident
The agricultural contribution to the local economy for North Yorkshire was £607 per resident

Yorkshire sits at near-top of the list of areas in the UK whose economies are the most reliant on the agricultural sector.

Yorkshire Day is being celebrated today (1 August) across 'God's Own County', and the rich agricultural history that runs through the region is evident.

According to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young, North Yorkshire is an area whose economy is very reliant on the agricultural sector.

The agricultural contribution to the local economy for North Yorkshire was £607 per resident of North Yorkshire (Gross Value Added per capita, 2016).

The contribution of agriculture to the UK economy as a whole averages out at £144 per person.

However, North Yorkshire comes slightly behind another agricultural powerhouses - Lincolnshire, whose contribution of agriculture to the local economy was £623 per resident of Lincolnshire - ranking top of all UK areas.

'Significant sector'

UHY Hacker Young says that the high contribution to the local economies generated by agriculture in the East of the UK shows that it could be one of the areas most impacted by Brexit.

The farming industry represents a significant sector of Lincolnshire’s economy. Agricultural-related businesses employ over 75,000 people in the county and is responsible for 12% of England’s food output.

UHY Hacker Young adds that London’s agricultural output per person was just £3, which places the capital bottom of all the areas dependent on agriculture as a direct contributor to the local economy.

Tim Maris, Partner at UHY Hacker Young comments: “The East of the UK is the arable heartland of the country – and these figures show just how essential agriculture is to their prosperity.”

“The areas of the country most reliant on agriculture will be keeping a close on eye on Brexit negotiations as the UK prepares to leave the EU. The Government may want to do more to reassure them that the loss of support from the EU will not impact them too heavily.

“Any proposed replacement policy will need to include a smooth transition from the present system and place food production at the heart of its new initiative”