TWO East Lancashire MPs have clashed over the growing trend for farms to become visitor attractions.

Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson says this is a major growth area, but has warned farmers they must keep on their toes to boost the growing trade.

But Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans accused her being "perverse" by trying to claim credit for the inevitable result of an agricultural crisis her Labour government had created.

Tourism Minister Mrs Anderson said that more than 10 million people visited 12,000 farm tourist attractions spending more than £12billion a year in the countryside.

This accounted for one quarter of all domestic holiday breaks supporting 380,000 jobs and 25,000 small and micro businesses.

Activities involved included birdwatching, feeding farm animals, visiting rare breed centres, driving the latest 4x4 vehicles, tackling assault courses and playing golf.

Mrs Anderson told the National Farm Attractions Network Conference: "Tourism is now key to the rural economy. Breaks in the countryside are becoming increasingly popular with city dwellers.

"Farmers are reaping the benefits of the largest percentage increase in visits of any part of the UK visitor attractions sector." This is very encouraging and is a tribute to the farmers role as rural entrepreneurs."

But she warned them that despite the potential for long-term growth, farmers could not sit on their laurels and needed to think creatively of how best to make use of their natural advantages such as landscape, wildlife, farm produce and historic features.

Tory vice-chairman Mr Evans was unimpressed, saying: "I think Janet is confusing things. Farmers are being forced into tourism by this agricultural crisis caused by the government.

"We are facing the biggest crisis in the countryside for 60 years.

"Its perverse of Janet to praise farmers for doing something that they have been forced into by the government's neglect. What farmers want to do is to farm and produce food for the nation."