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Number of Welsh farms diversifying on the up

The Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans has welcomed new statistics indicating that the number of farm businesses in Wales with diversified activities increased during 2013-14.

Around 3,100 farm businesses in Wales are estimated to have produced output from diversified activities during 2013-14, with income from diversified activities increasing to £15 million.

Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans said,

“I welcome the steady increase in the number of farm businesses in Wales that are opting to diversify and therefore add value to their existing business.

“The right diversification project can make all the difference to some farm businesses – releasing unused resources of land and buildings, increasing revenue and security and making them more adaptable to changing conditions in the industry.

“The range in type and scale of possible diversification is extensive and many Welsh farms are creating sustainable resilient businesses which have grown out of traditional farming.

“We support this success and continue to encourage diversification by farmers in order to for them to increase their farm incomes and allow them to take advantage and respond to new opportunities.”

The largest single category of diversified activity was the letting of buildings for non farming use, carried out by an estimated 1,570 farms, with 340 engaged in tourist accommodation and catering, and 230 and 130 farm businesses respectively, involved themselves in sport and recreation activities and the processing and retailing of farm produce.

For those farm businesses engaging in diversification, the average income from diversified activities in 2013-14 was £4,900 per farm. Farms with tourist accommodation and catering produced an average income from these activities of £6,800, with the letting of buildings for non-farming use, sport and recreation and the processing and retailing of farm produce generating average incomes of £6,100, £5,700 and £1,300 per farm, respectively.

 

Channel website: http://gov.wales

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