HC Deb 03 July 1963 vol 680 cc54-5W
Mr. Wolrige-Gordon

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how the income of the Scottish farmer on a 100 acre farm or under compares with the average wage of a farm worker.

Mr. Noble

Farmers' incomes on individual farms of 100 acres or under vary as a result of a number of factors, such as type of farm, land quality and level of management. The average net incomes on full-time farms of up to 100 acres in 1961–62, as shown by the sample of farm accounts which are available from the economics departments of the three agricultural colleges, for five of the main type groups are as follows:

£
Upland Rearing 575
Livestock with arable, non-intensive 803
Livestock with arable, intensive 743
Cropping 874
Dairy 730

There were no hill sheep farms of under 100 acres in the sample. The upland rearing group includes farms with up to 100 acres of crops and grass (with which is associated a substantial area of rough grazings): the other groups include farms with up to 100 total acres (including small acreages of rough grazings).

The average earnings of full-time adult male workers in Scotland in 1961–62 were £560.

Hill Sheep Upland Rearing
Acreage Net Income Acreage Net Income
£ £
Small 2,256 737 480 625
Medium 2,849 1,047 843 1,093
Large 5,406 1,917 1,313 1,597

Livestock with Arable Cropping Dairy
Non-intensive Intensive
Acreage Net income Acreage Net income Acreage Net income Acreage Net Income
£ £ £ £
Small 89 837 49 677 52 595 55 633
Medium 164 1,350 101 1,014 145 1,407 136 1,017
Large 445 2,494 362 3,561 289 2,285

Small farms are those with labour requirements of less than 750 man-days a year: medium sized farms 750 to 1,500 man-days a year: large farms over 1,500 man-days a year.

More detailed figures on farm incomes are available in Scottish Agricultural Economics, Volume XIII and in reports issued by the three agricultural colleges.