HC Deb 28 March 1994 vol 240 cc570-1W
Mr. Morley

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will show the average income of(a) farmers and (b) farm workers in (i) cash and (ii) real terms, using 1985 as a constant, in each year since 1980 showing these incomes as a percentage of the average wage.

Mr. Ancram

Estimates of cash farm income in Northern Ireland for 1986–87 onwards are given in the table. Figures for previous years are not available on a consistent basis. Estimates of average farm income are not comparable with the average wage.

Estimates of the earnings of full-time hired agricultural workers in Northern Ireland are also given in the table.

Earnings of full-time hired agricultural workers (£week)
Year 1Estimated cash income (£/farm) current terms Year Current terms 2Real terms 1985 prices 3Percentage of average wage
1980–81 n/a 1980 66.54 94.12 66.7
1981–82 n/a 1981 71.60 90.52 62.7
1982–83 n/a 1982 77.01 89.65 61.9
1983–84 n/a 1983 85.86 95.61 64.3
1984–85 n/a 1984 88.60 93.96 61.2
1985–86 n/a 1985 90.44 90.44 58.9
1986–87 12,600 1986 102.40 99.03 63.6
1987–88 14,500 1987 104.47 97.00 59.2
1988–89 15,600 1988 111.75 98.89 58.9
1989–90 19,000 1989 121.70 99.92 58.9
1990–91 16,600 1990 129.09 96.84 57.2
1991–92 16,300 1991 143.52 101–72 58.4
1992.93 19,700 1992 145.07 99.09 53.8
1993–944 21,600 41993 153.15 102.99 54.2
n/a=Not available.
1 Farm Business Survey account years ending on average in mid-February.
2 Deflated by the Retail Price Index.
3 Average earnings of all industries and services in Northern Ireland.
4 Provisional.

SourceNorthern Ireland New Earnings Survey.

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