Welsh Government
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New farm income figures make the case for increased resilience
The Minister was commenting on newly published statistics which show that the average farm business income in Wales for 2012/13 was £28,400, a decrease of 30 per cent on 2011/12 figures.
The more detailed figures show that the average farm business income for dairy farms in 2012/13 was £45,100, the average for cattle and sheep farms in Less Favoured Areas was £22,900 and the average for cattle & sheep lowland farms was £30,200.
Alun Davies said:
“There is no doubt that 2012 and 2013 were difficult for farmers in Wales and these latest figures reflect that.
“Following last spring’s severe weather I put in place a number of measures to help farmers recover from the effects of the bad weather. These included £500,000 via farming charities, ongoing one to one support through farming connect, the relaxation of rules around on-farm burial and early single payments for farmers in affected areas.
"However I believe one of the best ways to protect and grow farm incomes is to increase the capacity of farm businesses to cope with set backs. That is why I asked former NFU Director General, Kevin Roberts to undertake an independent review into the resilience of the Welsh farming industry and it is why I have made the decision to transfer 15% of CAP funding from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2.
“I want to ensure the long term, rather than just the short term success of Welsh agriculture and put Wales on the strongest possible footing to face the challenges ahead.
“Long term I believe my decisions on CAP will help farmers increase their efficiency and profits, exploit opportunities for new markets, and will strengthen our resilience to unexpected events.”
