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Farmers: Bankruptcy

Volume 457: debated on Friday 23 February 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms went bankrupt in each of the last five years, broken down by reason for bankruptcy. (122339)

I have been asked to reply.

The closest available estimate for bankruptcies among farmers are the number of bankruptcy orders made under the category “agriculture” according to the Insolvency Trade Classification. Also provided for further information are the number of company liquidations in the agricultural sector. The following table provides the England and Wales figures in 2001-05, currently figures for 2006 are not available by industry sector:

Bankruptcies and Company Liquidations in England and Wales for Agriculture, 2001-05

Bankruptcy orders

Company liquidations

2001

183

90

2002

132

76

Official bankruptcy statistics are not routinely analysed by reasons for bankruptcies and to provide the information requested would incur disproportionate cost.