Agriculture
Throughout the county you’ll find approximately 1,700 farms, covering an estimated 186,000 hectares.
In all, the county’s agriculture industry generates an estimated £164 million for the economy, supporting more than 4,000 jobs. Over half of the land is grassland, with the remainder dominated by cereals and other arable crops, giving the area a highly productive agricultural base compared with national averages.
Key local brands
Herefordshire’s agricultural strength is underpinned by several nationally recognised brands.
More than half of the UK’s cider is produced in Herefordshire, with Bulmers and Westons Cider both sourcing apples from thousands of acres of local orchards and supporting a network of contracted growers. The county is also home to Avara Foods, one of the UK’s largest poultry businesses, drawing on a dense cluster of specialist poultry farms that produce chicken, turkey and duck for leading supermarkets. The success of Tyrrells Crisps is closely linked to Herefordshire’s potato-growing heritage, with the brand founded on a local farm and still strongly associated with the county’s premium root crops. Soft fruit and top-fruit producers, such as EC Drummond’s Homme Soft Fruit and Tillington Top Fruit businesses, further demonstrate how local farms supply major UK retailers with strawberries, cherries and apples.
Strengths in the county
Herefordshire’s strong presence within the industry stems from a mix of scale, diversity and reputation.
The county has more than 500 cereal farms over 119,000 hectares, alongside significant areas of general cropping, livestock grazing and horticulture, giving it one of the highest concentrations of arable production in the Midlands. There’s over 105,000 cattle in the county, including dairy herds that produce upwards of 88 million litres of milk a year, reinforcing its status as a major livestock and dairy area. A landscape of orchards, mixed farms and grassland, combined with long-established farming families, supports powerful provenance stories that supports brand marketing.
Emerging areas
Several growth areas are becoming increasingly important. Specialist poultry and intensive livestock production continue to expand, supported by integrated supply chains and investment in housing, feed efficiency and animal welfare.
Horticulture and soft fruit are also growing, with Herefordshire playing a significant role in supplying high-quality berries and top fruit to UK supermarkets. There’s also a rising focus on agri‑tech, data-driven farming and sustainable practices, as the county responds to environmental pressures, labour costs and the need to protect river catchments such as the Wye. Precision nutrient management, soil health initiatives and low‑carbon approaches are increasingly embedded in local farm systems, positioning Herefordshire as a testbed for innovative, climate‑conscious agriculture.