Farm incomes drop by 40 per cent in a year

4.27.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 5th Jan 2007

Welsh Liberal Democrat AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, Kirsty Williams, has expressed her concern at declining farm incomes.

New figures show a 40 per cent average drop in farm incomes for upland cattle and sheep farmers. Hill cattle and sheep farms saw incomes drop by over a third, while hill sheep farms were 25 per cent down on last year.

Ms Williams said: "Such a drastic drop in income would not be tolerated in any other sector - these figures are a shocking and powerful reminder of the pressure that many farms are under. The rural way of life is under threat in a very real way, but the Labour Government shows no interest in protecting farmers' livelihoods, or the many other industries that are dependant on them.

"I know that many Labour AM's come to the constituency to enjoy the beautiful scenery afforded by the Welsh hills. They seem unable to fathom, however, that that scenery will be lost without investment in the uplands. Cuts to the Tir Mynydd budget must be reversed, and the level of funding restored to that set in 2005-06, or the effects on the ability of family farms to survive, and consequently on the whole Welsh economy, will truly be dire."

Notes:

· The Institute of Rural Science, at the University of Wales Aberystwyth, has published its Farm Business Survey in Wales - Statistical results for 2005/2006.