UK Agriculture Payments: Sector Leads the Way, But Deep Divides Persist

The UK's agricultural sector demonstrates notably better payment practices than the national average, but a significant disparity between top and bottom performers suggests ongoing challenges for suppliers.

The Numbers

• 84 agricultural companies analysed.
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 66.0/100
• UK average PaymentCheck Score: 50.0/100 (Agriculture is 16.0 points above).

What Stands Out

While the agricultural sector, as a whole, pays better than the UK average, some companies are dragging the average down, creating potential risks for suppliers navigating the sector. The strong regional performance in Yorkshire and The Humber could be attributed to sector-specific initiatives or a concentration of larger, more financially stable agricultural businesses in the area.

Best Payers

1. CROWN CHICKEN LIMITED - 97.4/100
2. IAN MOSEY (LIVESTOCK) LIMITED - 97/100
3. THE AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION PLC - 96.23/100
4. AB AGRI LIMITED - 94.87/100
5. WHITE ROSE FARMS LIMITED - 94.6/100

Worst Payers

1. MOLE VALLEY FARMERS LIMITED - 23.4/100
2. KUHN FARM MACHINERYUKLIMITED - 25.7/100
3. VOLAC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - 31.2/100
4. CHARLIES STORES LIMITED - 35.83/100
5. PILGRIM'S PRIDE LTD. - 36.15/100

Regional Patterns

• Yorkshire and The Humber: 82.2 avg (10 companies)
• London: 78.9 avg (10 companies)
• Scotland: 70.5 avg (7 companies)
• South East: 68.6 avg (14 companies)
• East Midlands: 66.9 avg (5 companies)

The regional data highlights that companies located in Yorkshire and The Humber exhibit the best payment practices with an average score of 82.2 out of 100; this contrasts starkly with the East Midlands, where the average score is a significantly lower 66.9 out of 100.

Calculate potential losses from late payments here: late payment calculator.

Suppliers should be aware that dealing with the lowest scoring company, Mole Valley Farmers Limited, could mean dealing with a company performing 267% worse than the average, whilst Yorkshire and The Humber-based businesses are, on average, 25% more likely to pay quickly than the 66.0 average.