§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress made on farm diversification. [66519]
§ Alun MichaelIt is a Government policy priority to help farmers to consider diversifying the economic base of their businesses. This accords with views on farm diversification emerging from the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food.
To help achieve this policy aim DEFRA provides grants under the Rural Enterprise Scheme, which forms part of the England Rural Development Programme. Since the scheme's launch in October 2000, over 200 diversification projects have been approved and awarded nearly £9 million in funding. The Department also offers assistance in the form of free planning consultancy advice to farmers who intend to pursue an eligible diversification project through the Rural Enterprise Scheme and we are considering how to improve the provision of help and information to farmers considering diversifying their business. Our Rural Development Service has been running successful business planning seminars in a number of the regions.
There are many types of farm business and no single approach will be appropriate. The Rural Enterprise Scheme is just one of a number of measures under the England Rural Development Programme, including agri-environment schemes, aid for conversion to organic farming, grants for processing and marketing of agricultural products, farm woodlands, energy crops and vocational training.