Anger as official study dismisses farming's economic standing

The National Strategic Skills Audit 2010 ranked farming at 26 out of 27 industry sectors in terms of its contribution to the national economy.

Only wood and paper manufacturing was rated as less important out of the major industry sectors.

The study also said agriculture had a large skills gap and claimed that employment in the UK's farming industries could potentially fall by as much as 100,000 in the next decade.

The sectors of UK industry which have been rated as the most important are financial services, business services and real estate.

Tory Shadow Farming Minister Jim Paice strongly criticised the report's findings and questioned why farming, and the food and drink industry, were rated so unimportant.

He told the Yorkshire Post: "I think it is disgraceful. I think it basically sums up the Government's attitude towards the industry, both in terms of agriculture and the food industry.

"It states that they are both of low economic importance and does not refer to the 14bn in rural tourism benefits that follow on from the work of those in agriculture."

The study has been published after the Government unveiled its Food 2030 strategy document which outlines how food and farming would evolve over the next 20 years.

Mr Paice said giving farming such a low ranking was "a huge slap in the face" for the nation's agricultural community and said it was "astonishing" that the sector's importance could be rated so poorly.

The study also claimed that a total of 18,400 people working on UK farms – some six per cent of the industry workforce – were "not fully proficient" in terms of their skills and qualifications.

The study was complied in order to inform Government and employers of current and future needs in terms of skill levels of the UK workforce.

The chairman of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Sir Mike Rake, said: "There are signs that England is emerging from the longest recession on record. To aid recovery and drive the growth, the Government has set out a need for a more active industrial policy.

"This involves looking strategically at the economy, ensuring opportunities and strengths are maximised and creating conditions for future economic success."

The report also stated that 13 per cent of agricultural "establishments", meaning businesses, were lacking in skills – compared to an average of three per cent across all English industries.