The total regional land-based workforce is an estimated 70,517, but this figure may underestimate the number of temporary, contract and migrant workers.

There are approximately 15,600 businesses operating wholly or principally in the land-based sector.  Across Wales, the large majority of businesses are within agriculture, with livestock farms comprising both the largest number of businesses and employing the majority of staff.  Horticulture (production and amenity/landscape), trees and timber, plus environmental conservation are also significant employers within the sector.

Key statistics on the sector in Wales include:

• 99.67% of businesses employ less than 10 people or no staff, compared to 95.8% in all Wales
• 25.2% of the workforce are staff, 74.8% are proprietors
• 32.2% of the workforce are aged 25-44 years, compared to 45.7% in all Wales
• 61% aged over 45 years, compared to 38.9% in all Wales
• 76.6% of the workforce are male, compared to 53% in all Wales
• most common annual business turnover is £76,529
• 10.3% of all establishments report vacancies, of which 5.7% are skill shortage
• 0.5% of the workforce have skills gaps

Businesses in the region need the following skills: literacy (82.6%); numeracy (81.8%); and technical skills (72.3%).  Over the next few years, all skills will be needed at a higher level.  Welsh language skills are a current requirement for 32.8% of business, but are needed at an intermediate and high level.

Employers are reporting skills shortages due to hard-to-fill vacancies for skills reasons.

Education and training providers offer both full-time and part-time learning, work-based learning and short course provision for technical skill development and continuing professional development.  40% of establishments have funded or arranged off-the-job training for their employees in the last 12 months.

For more information on education and training in Wales go to the education and training. 

Priority industries in Wales include:

• trees and timber
• environmental conservation
• production horticulture and landscaping
• aquaculture and fisheries management
• agriculture (livestock and crops)

Key drivers in Wales for the sector include:

• trends in production safety, traceability, quality and environment protection
• diversification into non-farming activities
• Common Agricultural Policy reforms
• continuing trends for lowering food prices towards world market levels
• increased consumer spending in amenity horticulture and garden retail, recreation and natural heritage sectors
• increasing competition
• significant recruitment problems in the land-based sector resulting from skills shortages

Source: Lantra Wales National Consultation 2005 and Sector Skills Agreement Stage 1: Annex 2.6 2005

For data on regional workforce by industry see:

Distribution of Lantra workforce in Wales, 2005