Whitty delays payment decision (From Gazette & Herald)

Whitty delays payment decision

AS forecast in last week's Gazette & Herald, the Oxford Farming Conference was the platform for our farming minister, Lord Whitty, to postpone yet again any decision as to how the single farm payment is to be implemented.

Frustration is inevitably building up among the farming fraternity, which desperately needs to plan for 2005, when all the changes come to pass; and most believe we should have had some indication before now.

After the original heated debate in Europe, commissioner Franz Fischler, back in June last year, made the announcement to abandon production-driven subsidies; and the race was on for the individual states to choose their preferred routes to achieve this.

The early betting went on DEFRA giving a decisive ruling in October, but leopards rarely change their spots and the buzz of consultation activity put everything back to early December.

Christmas came and went with firm predictions that Lord Whitty, cast as New Labour's Moses, would deliver the ten rural commandments to govern our people for decades to come at the Oxford Conference.

With nothing but weak excuses on Whitty's empty tablet, we are left with the promise that there will be an announcement within a few weeks.

So what hints do we have as to the direction of the agricultural Lord's thinking?

The alternatives, we all know, are between the historic method, which would largely give to each farmer that which he has been receiving in the past, but without the obligation to produce anything at the end of it; or a regional payment in which, broadly, all land will get the same area-based payment.

The consultation period brought out the worst in the official bodies advising industry, with each polarising its own selfish interests.

The land-owning and environmental groups pushed for the area payment, and the farming and tenants' lobby wanted to hang onto the status quo through the historic method.

Lord Whitty is fearful that if he goes down the historic route, it will become unsustainable in ten years time when, for example, large payments are made to a beef farmer who no longer feeds the 500 cattle he once did.

On the other hand, he accepts that the egalitarian area payment, which might more naturally suit his political philosophy, would seriously disadvantage this country compared to our European neighbours, especially Ireland, which are favouring the historic method.

There were hints in the Whitty speech, although it wasn't that funny, that he might go for a hybrid solution which converts all the arable payments into a regional area payment, and largely leaves the livestock subsidies to those in receipt at the moment.

There was a new word, "dynamic", which his speech writers fed in last week, and this apparently means that the historic-based payments to livestock producers could gradually be phased out and the whole single farm payment paid by area only.

There is still another furlong to run in the single farm payment stakes, but the favourite emerging at the minute is 'Hybrid Dynamic'!

It sums up Ken Morrison when, in the Who's Who of business, the leaders of industry were asked what car they drove. Next to the Rolls, Bentleys and Porsches of other tycoons, Sir Ken wrote Land Rover in his box! He definitely seems to be more staunchly supportive of Britain than Morrison's competitors, and we now need to hope that he will keep up the good work with the acquisition of Safeway, which is close to Pickering and Malton shoppers' hearts.

On the beef and lamb side, there seems little doubt of Morrison's intention to buy and sell British. The very presence of Woodheads in our livestock markets is a clear sign of their support for Yorkshire farmers.

The most contentious meat has always been pork. There are vast quantities of imported joints masqueraded under the UK banner, but Morrison's chief buyer, Brian Murrell, has categorically stated that all the firm's fresh pork is sourced from the UK. They have struggled to develop over 50 products from the ubiquitous pig including barbecue fingers, kebabs, pork burgers, pies and a range of spicy sausages.

Many of their supermarket competitors have given up on loose bacon, but Morrison's is still promoting it, having captured 13pc of the UK sales.

In the autumn, it reintroduced gammon shanks, and bacon ribs are due to follow.

Personally, I applaud Sir Ken's enterprise and tenacity; and look forward to going to Safeway when the Buy British policies filter through to the shop shelf.

Those unable to attend will be interested to hear the result of last week's debate at the famous Oxford Union, where the motion was put that "Supermarkets do everything that can reasonably be expected to support British agriculture".

Defending the supermarkets was Safeway's Kevin Hawkins and agri-business entrepreneur Maitland Mackie.

They were unable to persuade the packed house that they were innocent, and the next generation of British shoppers displayed remarkably good sense by defeating the motion by 265 to 118 votes.

I mentioned a fortnight ago that the recent BSE case in America has exposed huge holes in that country's traceability system for cattle.

I have now uncovered a few more murky details for you.

A British official visited a large feed lot where several thousand cattle displayed not a single ear tag between them.

The only concession to traceability was the owner's comment that they had all come from South Dakota!

Meat and bone meal can still be fed to American cattle, provided consumers are informed on the label.

The gesture towards testing extends only to 5,000 healthy cattle per year in a population of 35m!

The Holstein cow that tested positive is one of a batch of 81 imported from Canada, but so far only 11 of these have been traced.

I suspect that the US Department of Agriculture must have sent its staff for training to the French School of Meat Inspection!

Forward on Tuesday were 146 cattle including 55 bulls and 43 cows; 906 sheep including 272 ewes.

Heavy steers to 102p from C Beal, Yedingham (average 97.5p). Medium heifers to 129p from G I Marwood, Harome (102.9p). Heavy heifers to 137p from G I Marwood (107.8p). Light bulls to 111p from K Chilton, Newton-upon-Rawcliffe (101.3p). Medium bulls to 132p from T D Nicholls, Stape (101.2p). Heavy bulls to 119p from K Chilton (99.8p). Black and white bulls to 86p from M Ellenby, Pickering (78.5p).

Standard lambs to 116.2p from J E Shepherd, Pickering (113.6p). Medium lambs to 119p from D Ulliott, Suffield (111.8p). Heavy lambs to 114.1p from D Hairsine, Rudston (106.2p). Overweight lambs to 110.2p from G Featherstone, Wilton (101.2p). Ewes to £68 from R A Nicholson, Brandsburton (47.40p).

Updated: 11:09 Wednesday, January 14, 2004