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Farmers: Manpower

Volume 488: debated on Friday 6 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers there were in each agricultural sector in England in each year since 1997. (260137)

The figures on the following tables show the number of farmers, partners, directors and their spouses (if working on the holding) by farm type in England. The farm types for 1997 to 2000 are presented separately from the 2001 to 2008 types because of differing farm type definitions.

Total farmers, partners, directors and spouses by farm type (based on predominant activity) in England 1997 to 2000

1997

1998

1999

2000

Cereals

29,179

29,870

28,232

31,406

General cropping

19,561

18,687

18,171

17,163

Horticulture

14,140

13,643

13,239

15,562

Pigs and poultry

7,433

7,235

6,777

8,483

Dairy

35,104

34,405

33,216

31,418

Cattle and sheep (LFA)

15,299

17,071

16,956

17,007

Cattle and sheep (lowland)

42,146

42,057

43,300

48,872

Mixed

19,415

19,918

18,567

19,400

Other types

24,144

25,270

24,904

31,620

All types

206,421

208,156

203,362

220,931

Farmers, partners, directors and spouses by farm type (based on pre dominant activity) in England 2001to 2008

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Cereals

35,100

34,298

33,835

34,527

33,672

33,929

34,818

35,402

General cropping

18,766

17,346

16,578

16,286

14,812

14,654

13,619

12,843

Horticulture

17,247

16,762

15,932

15,978

14,826

14,734

13,494

13,263

Specialist pigs

2,949

2,999

2,743

3,030

3,349

3,111

3,418

3,625

Specialist poultry

7,335

7,356

7,177

7,792

9,514

8,911

9,002

9,877

Dairy

30,178

30,425

28,918

28,057

26,168

25,706

21,082

20,122

LFA—grazing livestock

17,752

19,184

18,501

19,188

18,843

21,266

20,657

20,194

Lowland—grazing

Livestock

45,766

48,090

47,815

53,380

53,219

50,306

46,779

45,827

Mixed

22,825

23,364

22,796

19,366

19,720

18,991

15,875

15,915

Other types

35,913

25,697

24,828

26,756

28,837

32,163

40,258

42,436

All types

233,828

225,520

219,123

224,362

222,961

223,770

219,004

219,505

Notes:

1. Includes full and part-time farmers, partners directors and spouses (if working on the holding).

2. Figures prior to 2000 are for main holdings only. From 2000 onwards main and minor holdings are included.

3. Farm type categories were altered in 2001.

4. A register improvement exercise was undertaken in 2001. Labour figures prior to this are not directly comparable with later results.

Source:

June Agricultural Survey