§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average size of farm holding in the less-favoured areas as sampled by(a) the most recent farm business survey and (b) the most up-to-date and comprehensive data she has available, by county and in England.
§ Mr. JackThe table provides information on the average size, in hectares, of cattle and sheep farms, wholly or mainly in the less-favoured areas—LFAs—in England from the agricultural census as at June 1992. As the farm business survey covers only farms that are considered to be full-time commercial businesses, very small farms are excluded from the survey. The average size of cattle and sheep LFA farms in England as estimated from the farm business survey sample for 1992–93 is 159 hectares, compared with 130 hectares for similar farms in the agricultural census at June 1992. Results from the farm business survey are not available by county.
Average size1 of cattle and sheep farms, wholly or mainly in the LFA as at June 1992 County Hectares Cleveland 73 Cheshire 61 Cornwall 49 Cumbria 107 Derbyshire 67 Devon 60 Durham 91 Hereford and Worcester 47 Lancashire 71 Northumberland 195 Shropshire 62 Somerset 97 Staffordshire 30 Greater Manchester 42 South Yorkshire 63 North Yorkshire 111 West Yorkshire 35 ENGLAND 86 1 Total area of holding.