MPs call for farm income inquiry

MPs call for farm income inquiry

Updated 1:50pm Tuesday 15th July 2014 in News By Allan Tunningley

A CROSS-party group of rural MPs is calling on Defra to set up an inquiry into hill farmers incomes amid uncertainty over the future effect of CAP reform.

They have tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons which claims that many upland farmers are existing on less than the minimum wage.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Hill Farming Group, said the recent CAP reforms had led to increased uncertainty over the future level of marginal farm incomes.

Average farm incomes are around 12,000 and thats often the income for an entire family.

Because upland farmers are self-employed, the minimum wage doesnt apply. Such a situation wouldnt be tolerated if they worked for someone else.

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Mr Farron said while CAP reform had led to some subsidies being diverted from lowland farms to hill and moor-land farms, the changes had left the future unclear.

Although upland farm incomes have risen since 2009, when they were around 5,000, they are still very low. We need Defra to launch a full review of the situation to see how we can help these farmers.

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MPs call for farm income inquiry