§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance is being provided for farmers to(a) diversify and (b) generate income from new sources. [137265]
§ Alun MichaelThe Government's Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food clearly sets out the scope of the assistance available to help farmers diversify their sources of income and to generate income from other sources.
Defra offers grants for good diversification projects under the Rural Enterprise Scheme, which forms part of the England Rural Development Programme. The Department also provides free consultancy advice on land use planning issues to farmers who intend to pursue a diversification project through the Rural Enterprise Scheme. Defra's Rural Development Service has been running business planning seminars in a number of regions to help potential applicants work up project proposals which meet the scheme requirements.
290WThere are many types of farm business and no single approach to income generation will be appropriate to all. The England Rural Development Programme provides support for a range of other opportunities, including organic farming, processing and marketing primary agricultural products, establishing energy crops and woodland, environmental stewardship under the agri-environment schemes, and training in the skills farmers may need to pursue new opportunities.
The Department is also considering how to improve the provision of help and information to farmers considering the diversification of their business base. The Farm Business Advice Service provides up to three days of free advice based around a business health-check and results in a business action plan. The service can help farmers decide whether or not to diversify and will direct them to other sources of support.