§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will specify the number of farmers
Region 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Number of holdings with sheep and lambs Northern 13,279 12,963 12,847 13,010 13,108 13,112 13,285 13,554 13,718 Midlands and Western 12,564 12,187 12,239 12,432 12,702 12,769 12,887 13,330 13,691 Eastern 3,182 3,063 3,027 3,113 3,224 3,269 3,338 3,436 3,596 South Eastern 4,030 3,992 4,143 4,332 4,505 4,657 4,877 5,055 5,248 South Western 11,032 10,889 10,941 11,041 11,205 11,347 11,490 11,784 12,138 All England 44,087 43,094 43,197 43,928 44,744 45,154 45,877 47,159 48,391 Number of holdings with beef cattle and calves Northern 21,364 20,348 19,944 19,849 19,655 19,389 18,965 18,687 18,299 Midlands and Western 28,180 26,426 25,966 25,579 25,665 25,427 24,767 24,268 23,773 Eastern 10,196 9,757 9,361 9,186 9,096 8,950 8,591 8,182 7,909 South Eastern 10,129 9,758 9,529 9,485 9,419 9,384 9,163 8,831 8,576 South Western 26,657 25,384 25,117 25,040 24,737 24,431 23,855 23,351 23,164 All England 96,526 91,673 89,917 89,319 88,572 87,581 85,341 83,319 81,721 Number of holdings with cereals Northern 14,204 13,862 13,563 13,348 12,905 12,885 12,853 12,532 12,295 Midlands and Western 16,049 15,725 15,374 15,085 14,592 14,525 14,538 14,283 14,105 Eastern 20,960 19,925 19,747 19,465 19,237 18,873 18,603 18,240 18,031 South Eastern 7,611 7,500 7,327 7,200 7,067 7,099 7,012 6,863 6,722 South Western 12,980 12,679 12,394 12,014 11,371 11,484 11,606 11,361 11,167 All England 71,804 69,691 68,405 67,112 65,172 64,866 64,612 63,279 62,320 Source: June agricultural censuses for England 1979 to 1987.
Note: The figures for 1979 are not directly comparable with those for 1979 are directly comparable with those for later years because of changes in census coverage.