UK Agriculture Payment Practices: A Mixed Bag in 2020

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 81
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 63.6/100
• UK average: 50.0/100 (Agriculture is 13.6 points above)
• Top PaymentCheck Score: 95.1/100
• Bottom PaymentCheck Score: 25.63/100

What Stands Out

While the UK agricultural sector's average PaymentCheck score of 63.6 is notably better than the UK average of 50, a wide disparity exists within the sector itself, with some firms exhibiting excellent payment practices and others lagging significantly. The spread between the best and worst payers is a hefty 69.47 points, suggesting a lack of consistent payment culture across the industry.

Best Payers

1. THE AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION PLC - 95.1/100
2. VITERRA UK LTD. - 94.95/100
3. AB AGRI LIMITED - 89.86/100
4. OPENFIELD AGRICULTURE LIMITED - 89.35/100
5. FERA SCIENCE LIMITED - 88.3/100

Worst Payers

1. MOLE VALLEY FARMERS LIMITED - 25.63/100
2. VOLAC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - 30.05/100
3. 2 AGRICULTURE LIMITED - 31.7/100
4. WYNNSTAY (AGRICULTURAL SUPPLIES) LIMITED - 32/100
5. HUSQVARNA UK LIMITED - 33/100

Regional Patterns

Payment practices appear to be geographically influenced. London-based agricultural companies lead the way with an average PaymentCheck score of 79.5, a full 15.9 points above the national agricultural average, though this is based on a small sample of only 6 companies. Northern Ireland, with a single company in the sample, also exhibits a high average of 77.7, while Scottish firms score significantly lower at 65.1, hovering only 1.5 points above the national agriculture average.

If late payments are impacting your business, use this late payment calculator to work out how much you are owed.

While agriculture beats the national average by 13.6 points, the difference of 69.47 between the best and worst companies highlights the need for more consistent and equitable payment standards across the sector.