The Government’s preferred measure of “low income” is income that is less than 60 per cent. of the median equivalised income for all UK households after tax. The Farm Business Survey is not able to provide figures for income net of tax and the figures below are therefore based upon a modified low income threshold of £13,800 calculated before tax. Data on farm household income are available for 2005-06 only and not at the UK level.
Estimated number of farm households below the modified low income threshold Estimated proportion of households below the modified low income threshold (percentage) Cornwall 800 55 South West GOR 4,300 37 England 19,100 31 Source: Farm Business Survey, 2005-06
Information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table shows average net farm income per farm in (a) Cornwall (b) the South West Government Office Region and (c) the UK in each year since 1980-81. Data are not available on a comparable basis for earlier years.
March- February Cornwall South West United Kingdom 1980-81 6,289 8,496 7,013 1981-82 8,158 13,114 10,005 1982-83 10,424 10,976 11,341 1983-84 6,430 9,895 10,714 1984-85 7,683 10,996 11,817 1985-86 8,375 9,404 6,675 1986-87 5,513 9,528 10,011 1987-88 13,338 16,003 11,571 1988-89 15,401 19,083 12,319 1989-90 10,952 14,420 15,482 1990-91 7,655 11,542 14,288 1991-92 13,814 15,254 15,250 1992-93 15,237 19,541 19,166 1993-94 20,687 21,669 21,923 1994-95 13,966 21,281 24,123 1995-96 20,976 30,778 31,776 1996-97 7,413 22,785 26,027 1997-98 1,868 11,688 12,213 1998-99 -1,170 6,428 8,512 1999-2000 1,641 7,508 6,639 2000-01 3,702 6,841 8,666 2001-02 17,015 15,110 12,992 2002-03 16,070 15,079 13,728 2003-04 18,914 21,458 23,932 2004-05 11,539 17,080 17,991 2005-06 10,463 17,753 17,508 Source: Farm Business Survey
Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type capital of the business. It excludes all income arising from outside the farm business.