A record number of farms have been forced to close over the past year, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) — prompting urgent calls for government action to support the rural economy.
The figures reveal that 6,365 agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses shut down in the past 12 months, marking the highest number of closures since quarterly records began in 2017.
The closures come amid mounting pressure on farmers, including rising costs, inheritance tax changes, regulatory barriers, and uncertain support structures — with industry leaders warning that rural businesses are being pushed to the brink.
Responding to the data, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said the numbers reveal a reality that government ministers have so far failed to acknowledge.
“This report says what ministers won’t: rural businesses are being pushed to the edge,” said Victoria Vyvyan, president of the landowner body.
“Farmers trying to modernise or diversify are blocked at every turn — by red tape, by national insurance rises, by a government that talks growth while pulling out the foundations beneath it.
“Still, the countryside carries on. New businesses are opening. People are holding on. But grit isn’t a strategy. What’s needed now is simple: stability, clarity, and a government willing to listen – before more farms are lost and more families are forced out.”
The CLA and other rural advocates have repeatedly warned that farming and land-based industries need clear, long-term policies on planning, tax, infrastructure and environmental schemes if they are to remain viable.
The latest figures come as many businesses grapple with the fallout from input inflation, delays in agricultural support payments, and the ongoing transition to new post-Brexit farming frameworks.
Industry leaders are continuing to urge ministers to treat the rural economy with the same urgency as urban sectors — and to act swiftly to reverse the trend before more farms disappear for good.
