Farron welcomes slashed red tape as figures reveal Cumbrian farmers struggling

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has welcomed the Government's proposals to cut red tape for farmers but urges that more must be done to support struggling farmers after latest figures reveal Cumbrian farmers have below average levels of diversified activity.

18% of Cumbrian farmers bolster their business by branching out into other areas, like farm shops and haulage and renewable energy production. Nationally, 24% of farms have some diversified activity, not including income gained from letting out buildings, with highest levels in the South East and East, which can make farming incomes more robust against shocks.

The Government has recently pledged to free up farming, taking on over 80 recommendations made by the Farming Regulation Task Force to throw out unnecessary paperwork and give farmers more power to improve their incomes. Tim believes that the tighter restrictions on farmers working in our National Parks may have contributed to this problem.

Tim's comment: "The Government is clearly moving in the right direction but it's not enough. We need to actively support farmers, and throwing off unnecessary bureaucracy - including those imposed by national parks - is a great step forward but we also need to give our farmers as much support as possible to ensure that they can take full advantage of the opportunities now available.

"Our farmers are highly skilled, committed, and imaginative - a wealth of talent that is not reflected by these figures for Cumbria. I'm glad that we're acting in Government to bolster our farming industry but we need to do more and quicker."