Local farmers have had their cause championed in the Commons by Keighley MP Ann Cryer.
She raised the question of what help is being offered to those wishing to diversify.
Barry Gardiner, parliamentary under secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said support was being provided by regional development agencies (RDAs).
He said: "The Secretary of State, in his speech to the royal show last year, spoke about farm diversification and the need to examine the barriers that farmers experience when trying to diversify their businesses.
"The report that has come back shows that 50 per cent of farmers in England have some form of diversified activity and for almost 60 per cent of those that income accounts for a quarter or more of total farm income, so that is a key area."
He added that around £600 million of benefit would be delivered to rural communities through a programme administered by RDAs.
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