HC Deb 08 March 2004 vol 418 cc1250-1W
Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which problems English farmers face affect farmers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differently. [156111]

Alun Michael

The following table illustrates variations in Net Farm Income between the four UK countries. It highlights a welcome overall recent upward trend in Net Farm Incomes in each of the four countries. One of the most important drivers of UK farm incomes has been and will continue to be the exchange rate which has had a positive impact on all countries within the UK in recent years.

Net farm income by country and type of farm
Average net farm income per farm, (£per farm)
Accounting years ending on average in February
1999–2000 2000–01 2001–021 2002–031 2003–042
Cattle and sheep (less favoured areas) 2.2 3.9 4.5 12.0 14.5
Cattle and sheep (lowland) 0.1 -0.1 0.8 5.8 5.5
Cereals 11.5 5.4 3.3 10.0 30.0
General cropping 6.7 16.3 15.7 10.9 38.0
Pigs and poultry -3.9 29.1 19.4 44.9 52.0
Mixed 4.4 6.8 6.3 11.7 19.0
All Types (excluding horticulture) 5.7 7.8 11.0 12.2 20.5
In real terms (at 2002–03 prices)
United Kingdom
Dairy 9.7 14.4 28.4 14.9 17.0
Cattle and sheep (less favoured areas) 2.4 4.1 4.6 12.0 14.5
Cattle and sheep (lowland) 0.1 -0.1 0.8 5.8 5.0
Cereals 12.3 5.6 3.4 10.0 29.0
General cropping 7.1 16.8 16.0 10.9 37.0
Pigs and poultry -4.1 30.1 19.7 44.9 50.5
Mixed 4.7 7.1 6.5 11.7 18.5
All types (excluding horticulture) 6.1 8.0 11.2 12.2 20.0
1 Excluding farms subjected to compulsory foot-and-mouth disease cull.
2Provisional.

Further information on the situation of agriculture in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can be found in the following publications

Defra, on behalf of the UK Agricultural Departments, publishes the annual report "Agriculture in the United Kingdom" (AUK). This describes agricultural and environmental developments during the previous year, reporting on each of the main agricultural commodities and containing information on agricultural incomes. Details on the circumstances of Agriculture in the four UK countries are given in tables 2.3 and 2.4 of AUK. Copies of AUK are placed in the House Library and more information can be found on the Defra website at: http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/publications/auk/default.asp

In addition to this, a more detailed breakdown of information on agriculture in each of the UK countries is provided in the following specialist publications:

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