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Farmers: Manpower

Volume 462: debated on Tuesday 10 July 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers there were in (a) Ribble Valley, (b) the North West and (c) the UK in each year since 1979; and what proportion of the total work force they made up. (147431)

The following table shows the number of farmers and total agricultural work force in (a) Ribble Valley, (b) the North West and (c) England and the proportion of the total UK work force they made up for 1992-2006. These are the figures that are most readily available. Figures for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.

PQ 3543 Numbers of farmers and agricultural labour in Ribble Valley local authority, the North West region and England

(a) Ribble Valley

Farmers

As percentage of total UK work force

Agricultural labour

As percentage of total UK work force

1992

1,277

0.00

1,861

0.01

1993

1,309

0.00

1,884

0.01.

1994

1,290

0.00

1,887

0.01

1995

1,253

0.00

1,818

0.01

1996

1,266

0.00

1,803

0.01

1997

1,253

0.00

1,797

0.01

1998

1,255

0.00

1,795

0.01

1999

1,245

0.00

1,728

0.01

2000

1,274

0.00

1,646

0.01

2001

1,323

0.00

1,697

0.01

2002

1,278

0.00

1,639

0.01

2003

1,218

0.00

1

1

2004

1,254

0.00

1,633

0.01

2005

1,243

0.00

1,576

0.01

2006

1,251

0.00

1,576

0.01

(b) North West

Farmers

As percentage of total UK work force

Agricultural labour

As percentage of total UK work force

1992

27,402

0.10

46,312

0.17

1993

27,605

0.10

46,147

0.17

1994

27,504

0.10

46,155

0.17

1995

26,461

0.09

45,148

0.16

1996

26,412

0.09

45,026

0.16

1997

26,199

0.09

44,593

0.16

1998

26,536

0.09

44,280

0.15

1999

26,024

0.09

42,020

0.14

2000

27,548

0.09

41,696

0.14

2001

28,670

0.10

42,413

0.14

2002

27,392

0.09

40,317

0.13

2003

26,601

0.09

38,340

0.13

2004

27,065

0.09

39,347

0.13

2005

26,824

0.09

39,097

0.13

2006

27,113

0.09

39,016

0.12

(c) England

Farmers

As percentage of total UK work force

Agricultural labour

As percentage of total UK work force

1992

213,337

0.8

420,074

1.5

1993

216,094

0.8

417,619

1.5

1994

215,010

0.8

410,809

1.5

1995

208,050

0.7

400,887

1.4

1996

207,807

0.7

396,786

1.4

1997

206,421

0.7

393,105

1.4

1998

208,156

0.7

396,557

1.4

1999

203,362

0.7

379,018

1.3

2000

220,934

0.7

374,291

1.3

2001

233,738

0.8

386,732

1.3

2002

225,521

0.7

371,824

1.2

2003

219,123

0.7

354,381

1.2

2004

224,449

0.7

367,585

1.2

2005

223,008

0.7

364,891

1.2

2006

223,769

0.7

361,017

1.1

1 Suppressed to maintain confidentiality. 2003 data for total labour in Ribble Valley are taken from a larger published dataset and have been suppressed to protect a total in another area where the value refers to a small number of holdings only.

Notes:

1. Figures prior to 2000 cover main holdings only. Figures from 2000 onwards include main and minor holdings. A minor holding has to meet all the following conditions:

(a) have a total area of less than six hectares

(b) a total labour requirement of less than 100 standard person days

(c) no regular full-time farmer or worker

(d) a glasshouse area of less than a 100 square metres

(e) the occupier does not farm another holding

2. Estimates have been made for holdings not selected or not responding.

3. Office of National Statistics total labour force figures include all work force categories (employed, self-employed, HM forces and Government supported trainees).

4. Agricultural labour force includes:

(a) principal farmers, spouses and business partners

(b) salaried managers, regular and casual/gang workers

5. Due to the introduction of new questions in 1998 figures prior to this year are not directly comparable with earlier years’ results.

6. Due to a register improvement exercise in 2001 labour figures prior to this are not directly comparable with later results.

Sources:

1. June Agricultural Survey

2. Office for National Statistics