Economy facts

Farming is at the heart of the rural economy. The food and drink industry is the country’s largest manufacturing sector and will play a huge role in reviving  Britain from its current financial crisis. Here are a few key facts:

• Farming and horticulture make a major contribution to the UK economy – collectively £7.1bn each year
  
  
• Agriculture is at the centre of a vibrant rural economy – employing 5.5 million people who work in an economy worth £300 billion per year
  
  
• Tough economic conditions still face agriculture – there have been recent commodity price crashes and input prices remain volatile 
  
  
• Agriculture underpins the rural tourism sector - which generates an estimated £14 billion and supports 25,000 businesses every year
  
  
• Many farmers have had to diversify to improve their profitability - over half (51%) of English farms have diversified beyond their core farming activities
  

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