Farming incomes in the East of England topped £1bn last year, keeping the region at the top of the national table - despite falling profits in 2023.

Defra's latest statistics show Total Income from Farming (TIFF) dropped across all eight English regions in 2023, by an average of 21pc.

The highest regional figure came from the East, with £1,033m representing 23pc of the national total.

Although this was a 5pc decrease from the peak in 2022, it was still the region's second highest value in the last six years.

And it means the East of England has now been the biggest regional contributor to England's TIFF in eight of the last 10 years.

Of the East's total, 52pc was from crops, 32pc from livestock, and the remaining 16pc evenly split between diversification, subsidies and other agricultural activities

Total crop output fell by 12pc to £2,451m, with wheat being the most valuable crop despite a 31pc fall to £725m, compared to 2022. Meanwhile sugar beet values increased by 87pc to £235m.

For livestock, there was a 16pc increase in outputs to £1,506m, with the East of England's poultry sector being the largest contributor with a value of £836m - a 26pc increase from 2022.

The regional analysis follows Defra's publication earlier this year of the national TIFF figure for England, which fell by £1.1bn to £4.5bn in 2023. 

This was attributed to "low commodity prices combined with a poor yield [which] resulted in substantial decreases in the value of many crop items" in a weather-affected growing season for 2023. 

These decreases followed a spike in 2022, when high global costs pushed up commodity prices due to the war in Ukraine.

Farming leaders said the statistics demonstrated the “volatile environment” in which food growers have been trying to make a living in recent years.