Government figures highlight farming incomes slump

NEW government figures show farm incomes are continuing to fall with provisional statistics showing dairy farmers net incomes for 1997-1998 are likely to be about £19,100 compared with £30,300 the previous year.

Cereal farmers suffered the biggest slump with incomes down from £40,500 to £24,900. Hill farmers saw their incomes fall from £18,700 to £12,200.