§ Mr. Morrisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what 156W was the average net farm income on farms in Wales of 50, 100, 150, and 200 acres and over, respectively, in the years 1958 and 1959; what is the figure forecast for 1960; and what was the percentage increase or decrease shown by these figures.
§ Mr. SoamesMy information on farm incomes in Wales is obtained from a sample survey conducted by the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth. The 1960 figures are being collected and will not be available for some months. But the average net farm incomes by size groups and the percentage changes between 1958 and 1959, as disclosed by that survey, are shown in the following table. The size groups given are those broadly corresponding to the sizes referred to by the hon. Member.
Farm incomes on dairying and livestock farms generally suffered in 1959 because the dry summer and the difficult conditions earlier adversely affected the yield and condition of livestock and obliged farmers to buy in more concentrates.
FARM SIZE Acres 1958 1959 Percentage change 50 and under … 388 344 -11.3 51–100 … 578 493 -14.7 101–150 … 952 708 -25.6 151–300 … 1,191 884 -25.8 301 and over … 1,628 930 -42.9