Reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP), due by 2014, could be kicked into the long grass because of unfolding events in Europe and if member states can’t reach agreement over its future, a meeting in the South West has heard.
Speaking at Gloucestershire NFU’s annual meeting with local MEP Julie Girling, the Union’s vice president Gwyn Jones said that reform as envisaged, with lots of green strings attached, was a “real retrograde step” with no market orientation.
“These proposals would make us more dependent on brown envelopes which would be pretty disastrous for farmers. We need to be focussing on producing more and getting our money from the market place,” he said.
Julie Girling said one of the problems was that the UK was one of the best for agricultural environment schemes with others being “way behind” and some at the meeting feared that what was currently on the table could actually have an adverse effect on membership of such schemes.
The meeting honoured Gloucestershire NFU member and television farmer, Adam Henson (pictured, right, with Gwyn Jones), with a special award for his fantastic work depicting farming so positively to millions via the BBC’s Countryfile programme.
He said he was just a “gob on the telly” reflecting the fantastic job farmers are doing. “Farming’s on the crest of a wave and we’ve got to ride it well,” he said.
No comments have been made.