Dairy farm income, England 2024/25
Average Farm Business Income for dairy farms in England was £153,800 in the 2024/25 accounting year, according to DEFRA. Farm Business Income is the return to all unpaid labour and to all the capital invested in the business, before private drawings — DEFRA’s headline farm-profit measure. Among the 9 published English farm types, dairy ranks 2 of 9 by average income.
Quick answer
A dairy farm in England earned an average Farm Business Income of £153,800 in 2024/25 (DEFRA). This is an average across the sample of dairy farms — individual farms vary widely with scale, yields and input costs.
Avg income
£153,800
Farm Business Income, England 2024/25
Rank by income
2 / 9
among English farm types
Reference year
2024/25
Mar 2024 – Feb 2025
How dairy compares
| Farm type | Avg income |
|---|---|
| Specialist poultry | £235,900 |
| Specialist pigs | £126,700 |
| General cropping | £107,700 |
| Mixed | £58,000 |
| Horticulture | £52,700 |
| Cereals | £49,700 |
Source: DEFRA, Farm Business Income by farm type in England 2024/25 (GOV.UK), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average income of a dairy farm in England?
- Average Farm Business Income for dairy farms in England was £153,800 in the 2024/25 accounting year, as published by DEFRA. That ranks 2 of 9 farm types by average income.
- What does the dairy farm income figure include?
- The figure is Farm Business Income — the return to all unpaid labour and to all capital invested in the business (including land and buildings), before any private drawings. It is an average across the sample of farms of this type in England; individual farms vary widely.
- What reference period and source does this figure use?
- The figure relates to the 2024/25 farm accounting year (March 2024 to February 2025) and is taken from DEFRA, "Farm Business Income by farm type in England 2024/25" (GOV.UK), Open Government Licence v3.0. Verified 2026-06-25.
Source & licence
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) — Farm Business Income by farm type in England 2024/25. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figure verified 2026-06-25.