A QUARTER of farm households in England are living in poverty, according to official figures obtained by the Conservatives.

Rural Action - The Conservative agenda to empower communities, protect services and revive the economy in Rural England.

Responding to a Parliamentary Question about the number of farmers who live in poverty, Farming Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said 25 per cent of farm households were ‘below the modified low income threshold’.

Shadow Agriculture Minister Jim Paice, who tabled the question commented:

“The figures showed how tough life is for many farmers

“Despite welcome increases in incomes large numbers of farm businesses are barely breaking even as the costs and regulatory burdens imposed by Government increase. In recent years thousands of farmers have quit the industry, weakening our supply base and leaving us more reliant on imports of food we could produce ourselves”

Eric Ollerenshaw, the Parliamentary Candidate for Lancaster and Fleetwood, sees this as further proof that under the current Government farmers have been undervalued and undermined.

“ This is further proof if any was needed that Gordon Brown and his government has either no clue about the importance of the rural economy or simply doesn’t care”