UK: Average farm incomes to go into the red next year, report shows

A report released today showing many farmers will make a £4,000 loss next year paints an ever more depressing picture of the disaster encompassing British agriculture, the NFU says.NFU President Ben Gill says the report by Deloitte & Touche confirms the desperate need for the Government to pay agrimoney aid to cereals farmers to compensate for the strength of the pound. The report shows the continuing decline in incomes and provides figures for last year, but more worrying are the depressing forecasts for this harvest year.The NFU has expressed grave fears that the 22,000 job losses from farming in the 12 months to June last year will be exceeded in the current year's census figures, which are released in December.Mr Gill said it was clearly important that the commitments given by Government to work with the industry to reduce burdens such as red tape and over-zealous regulation were realised as soon as possible. Ben Gill said: "The report again illustrates the severity of the crisis affecting British agriculture and its impact on every farm in the country be it large or small."Mr Gill said the report also highlighted the impact of on-going low incomes on investment in the countryside and the problems facing Britain's cereal farmers.He said: "The public has witnessed the devastation of trade and businesses in this country's pig sector and the pressures facing our dairy farmers. These figures now demonstrate that our arable farmers are also on the rocks."The Government has a duty to pay agrimoney compensation to these farmers."