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Farms: Norfolk

Volume 471: debated on Friday 1 February 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms closed in Norfolk in each of the last five years. (182101)

Information on the number of holdings is collected in the annual June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture. Information is not collated on the number of holdings closing. The following figures show the number of registered holdings at June each year. These figures show net change only and therefore include gains as well as losses.

Total holdings in Norfolk

2002

6,511

2003

6,589

2004

6,751

2005

6,783

2006

6,658

Notes:

1 Estimates are based on a sample survey and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.

2. Register improvement exercises, animal health requirements and the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme in 2005 have led to an increase in the number of holdings registered.

3. While in the majority of cases a farm holding equates to a farm business some farm businesses are made up of more than one holding.

4. Changes can occur in the ownership and status of the holding which may not necessarily be reflected in the above figures.

5. Information on the de-registration of VAT registered holdings is available from the Office for National Statistics.

Source:

June Survey of Agriculture