§ Mr. JoplingTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the average amounts of capital employed excluding land, on livestock farms within the less-favoured areas at the most recent convenient date.
§ Mr. CurryThe 1992 edition of "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom" contains estimates based on sample surveys of the level of assets employed on livestock farms in the less-favoured areas. The following table shows the average value of total assets, excluding land and buildings, on LFA livestock farms in 1990–91.
£?000 per farm England 102.2 Wales 92.1 Scotland 105.4 Northern Ireland 57.7
§ Mr. JoplingTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the average farm incomes for livestock farms in the less-favoured areas for each of the last five years up to 1992, using the notional figures which his Department have used of increases of 29 per cent. for last year and 16 per cent. for this year, split between severely disadvantaged and disadvantaged areas.
§ Mr. CurryEstimates, based on sample surveys, of the levels of nominal net farm incomes on the various types of livestock farm in the less-favoured areas for the past three years are contained in table 14 of the data prepared for the 1992 autumn review of the economic conditions in the hills and uplands, a copy of which has been deposited in the Library of the House.
Year by year comparisons can best be made by reference to results from a constant sample of farms. The following table shows indices of net farm income for each year from 1986–87 to 1992–93 and estimated income levels for the latest available constant sample.
769W
Average Net farm income on LFA livestock farms Severely Disadvantaged Area Disadvantaged Area All LFA 1Index £?000 per farm 1Index £?000 per farm 1Index £?000 per farm 1986–87 80 — 113 — 82 — 1987–88 118 — 218 — 125 — 1988–89 145 — 293 — 154 — 1989–90 103 — 152 — 106 — 1990–91 87 8.3 58 2.8 85 7.1 1991–92 110 10.4 91 4.3 109 9.1 1992–932 128 12.2 102 4.9 127 10.6 1 1989–90–1991–92 = 100 2(forecast)