Government urged to look at hill farming’s long-term future

The Government has been urged to consider establishing a commission on the future of hill farming to determine how such areas could be managed in the future.

In his second report to the Prime Minister on rural England, the Government's rural advocate, Dr Stuart Burgess, said he believed the future of hill farming communities merited particular attention.

He urged the Government to lead a debate towards a new vision for use of the land as a 'precious and limited commodity' and the role of farming within this.

Dr Burgess highlighted the 'severe' difficulties faced by the farming community in the wake of unprecedented levels of flooding and incidents of animal disease last year, and said he remained 'hugely impressed' by the energy, industry and determination of the farmers he had met.

His report claimed that more than 928,000 rural households were now living below the official poverty threshold of £16,492 household income per year.

However, because rural disadvantage was scattered, it was hidden through the averaging of official statistics and a perception of the countryside as affluent and idyllic, he suggested.

Speaking about his report Dr Burgess said: "Rural life can offer great advantages and I have seen many examples of real community spirit and creative solutions to problems."

Urging the Government to develop policies that better reflect the nature of rural disadvantage, targeting people in need, rather than places, he said he had witnessed people in real hardship and struggling to get by.