“A REAL boost at just the right time.” That’s how farmers have responded to the news that the latest reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will see more support going to the hill farming sector.

Richard Betton, a member of the NFU’s hill and upland farming group, said the news follows months of hard work by group members.

“About 44 per cent of all the breeding ewes in England and 40 per cent of our beef herd live in the hills, yet farming in the uplands has been under sustained financial pressure for years, with incomes consistently some of the lowest in the land,” he said.

“Contrast this with what the hills deliver – not just environmentallyfriendly food production, but also careful management of the supreme landscapes for which our region is famous – and it’s easy to see why it is important to have a thriving farming community in our most remote areas.

“These are just some of the arguments we have been making to the government over recent months – calling on Owen Paterson to act now and back vital food production in the hills,” he added. “I am delighted that he has responded and confirmed that more financial resources will indeed be channelled into these areas.”