Archive - Thursday, 6 June 2002


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CAP in hand plea

THE Government is being urged to go to bat for British farmers in negotiations for the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy.

The European Commission's proposals for the review are to be announced by the end of July.

Tenant Farmers Association chairman Reg Haydon said: "We are about to enter into five months of intense negotiations that will change some of the fundamental elements of the CAP.

"We are putting the Government on notice that we expect it to negotiate hard to ensure that the interests of British farmers are not jeopardised by the reform's conclusions."

He also called on the Government to take advantage of all the packages available to aid farmers, "something the Government has not been good at doing in the past".

He added: "Given our advanced farm structure, any size-related modulation will fall more heavily on our producers than those in other EU member states. The Government must work hard to ensure that our producers are not put at a competitive disadvantage by a system that works against us.

"Also, if money is to be removed from direct payments, the Government must commit itself to developing viable agri-environment and rural development schemes available to all producers regardless of tenure."

Updated: 10:20 Thursday, June 06, 2002