Land and Holdings
The Agriculture Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network maintains the register of agricultural holdings in the Velocity Interoperability Network and publishes statistics drawn from it. The register records every holding of agricultural land, its occupier, its area and enterprise, and the livestock kept on it. It is the basis of the Department's inspection programme, its response to notifiable disease and its reporting to the Network.
This first statistical release records the position at establishment on 6 September 2026. The figures are drawn from the holding records transferred by member organisations during the transition period from 10 August to 5 September 2026, reconciled by the Department's rural offices. They are provisional and will be revised in later releases where late returns are received or duplicate entries are resolved.
The position at establishment. The figures below record the register on the day the Department was established.
- 4,218
- Agricultural holdings on the register at establishment
- 312,600
- Hectares of agricultural land across the five districts
- 74
- Hectares, the average size of a registered holding
- 11,870
- People regularly employed on registered holdings
Of the 11,870 people regularly employed on holdings, 6,920 are occupiers and members of their households and 4,950 are employed workers. A further 3,400 people are estimated to work on holdings seasonally, principally in horticulture and at harvest; seasonal employment is not yet recorded on the register and will be collected in the Department's first annual return in June 2027.
Land use. The table below sets out the use of agricultural land recorded on the register. Woodland is included only where it forms part of a registered holding.
| Use | Hectares | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Arable cropping | 141,200 | 45% |
| Permanent grassland | 118,900 | 38% |
| Woodland on holdings | 24,700 | 8% |
| Other land (buildings, yards, tracks and water) | 18,400 | 6% |
| Horticulture | 9,400 | 3% |
| All agricultural land | 312,600 | 100% |
Holdings by size and type. The register classifies each holding by its area and by the enterprise from which most of its output is derived. Small holdings are numerous but account for a small share of the land: the 1,640 holdings under 20 hectares occupy 14,100 hectares between them, while the 280 holdings of 300 hectares and over occupy 127,800 hectares. Shares in the tables are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not sum to 100.
| Size | Holdings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 hectares | 1,640 | 39% |
| 20 to 99 hectares | 1,512 | 36% |
| 100 to 299 hectares | 786 | 19% |
| 300 hectares and over | 280 | 7% |
| All holdings | 4,218 | 100% |
| Type | Holdings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grazing livestock (cattle and sheep) | 1,417 | 34% |
| Cereals and general cropping | 1,236 | 29% |
| Dairy | 528 | 13% |
| Mixed | 432 | 10% |
| Horticulture | 391 | 9% |
| Pigs and poultry | 214 | 5% |
| All holdings | 4,218 | 100% |
Holdings by district. The Network's agricultural land lies in five districts, each served by a rural office. The Eastfield Plain has the largest area and the largest average holding; the Northern Vale has the greatest number of holdings.
| District | Holdings | Hectares | Principal enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Vale | 1,048 | 71,300 | Dairy and grazing livestock |
| Eastfield Plain | 912 | 98,400 | Cereals and general cropping |
| Southern Levels | 823 | 46,900 | Grazing livestock and horticulture |
| Westbrook Downs | 764 | 54,200 | Cereals and mixed |
| Meridian Uplands | 671 | 41,800 | Grazing livestock |
| All districts | 4,218 | 312,600 |
Livestock. The figures below record the livestock entered on the register at establishment. Livestock numbers are taken from the most recent return made by each keeper and will be updated as movements are recorded.
- 186,400
- Cattle, of which 61,200 in dairy herds
- 402,700
- Sheep, including 168,300 breeding ewes
- 61,300
- Pigs, kept mainly on the 214 pig and poultry holdings and on mixed holdings
- 2.9m
- Poultry, of which 2.1 million laying hens
Registering a holding. Every holding of agricultural land in the Network must be registered with the Department, whatever its size. The steps below apply to a new holding and to a change of occupier of an existing holding.
Step 1: Write to the Department
Give the location and area of the land, the name of the occupier and the date occupation begins or began, and the enterprise intended: crops grown, livestock kept or both. Where the land was previously part of a registered holding, give that holding's number.
Step 2: Receive a holding number
The Department enters the holding on the register and issues a holding number by email, normally within ten working days. The number is used on every movement record, report and application concerning the holding.
Step 3: Initial inspection
An inspector visits a newly registered holding within six months of registration to confirm the area and enterprise recorded and to explain the farming standards that apply. The visit is arranged with the occupier in advance.
Step 4: Certificate of registration
Following the initial inspection the Department issues a certificate of registration. The certificate is required when selling livestock or produce as a registered holding and when applying for a training place or an advisory visit.
The Department will publish statistics quarterly. The next release, covering the quarter ending 30 September 2026, will be published in October 2026 and announced in the Newsroom. It will include the outcomes of the first inspections under the Department's programme, reported alongside the farming standards. For the milestones of the reporting cycle, see History. Questions about these figures, and requests to register a holding, may be sent to contact@agriculture.gov.vin.