§ 25. Mr. SteenTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the change in farm income levels since 1 May 1997. [42746]
§ Mr. MorleyGovernment statistics published in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom" show that, in 1997 as a whole, farm incomes fell by an average of 37 per cent. in real terms. The fall in total income from farming in 1997 is largely due to lower prices received by farmers for all major commodities. The relative strength of sterling compared with 1996 has been a major factor underlying the fall in prices.
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