Economy

Agriculture

Shetland's 2025 agricultural census recorded:

  • 4,123 cattle
  • 296,073 sheep
  • 3,500 poultry
  • 1,135 horses and ponies
  • 1,843 people working in Shetland’s agriculture sector
  • 141,087 hectares of land used for agricultural purposes

During 2025 there was:

  • 85,035 animals sold through the Shetland auction ring
  • With the exception of pigs, far more livestock exported than imported
  • An estimated 286,049kg of wool and 1,081,558 litres of milk produced
  • 1 registered slaughter house, which slaughtered 2,926 sheep, 218 cattle and 121 pigs
  • 4 Food Standards Agency approved meat and animal produce establishments in Shetland
  • £13,218,758 paid out in assistance to Shetland agricultural holdings through the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID)