§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each of the unitary authorities and for Wales for(a) 1980, (b) 1990 and (c) the last two available years (i) the estimated number of farmers and (ii) the estimated number of organic farmers, indicating (ii) as a percentage of (i). [4858]
§ Mr. Win GriffithsAs at June 1997, there are 86 farms held on the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (0.3 per cent. of the total number of Welsh main holdings). No figures are available for earlier dates, or for unitary authorities.
Figures are available for Wales of the area of land registered as organically farmed. These are given as follows:
Year Organically farmed land (hectares)1 Total agricultural land area (hectares)2 Organically farmed land as percentage of total land 1995 3,058 1,498,718 0.2 1996 3,287 1,509,061 0.2 1 Figures supplied by the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards, land in conversion and converted. 2 Excludes Common rough grazing land.