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Farming Today: Farming Today This Week

Farming Today This Week

15/10/2011

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, Farming Today This Week

As the CAP reforms are published in Brussels, Charlotte Smith asks what impact it may have

Charlotte Smith asks what the proposed changes to the system that pays billions of pounds in subsidies to farmers across Europe will mean for agriculture, the countryside and food.

After months of speculation and leaks, the proposals explaining how billions of pounds could be spent subsidising farmers across the EU in the future have been published. Last year UK farmers claimed around £3.5 billion in European funding from tax payers. Currently the majority of the support payments come in the form of a Single Farm Payment, which pays farmers for keeping the land in a workable condition and adhering to welfare standards. Farmers can also apply for extra grants if they qualify for environmental projects on their land, for example encouraging rare plants, animals or birds. Among the planned changes is the idea to link 30% of the Single Farm Payment to environmental work, including setting up permanent pastures or leaving 7% of arable land for wildlife. 
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there are plans to bring the payment system in line with England and calculate the payment based on the amount of land. NFU Scotland's Vice President Alan Bowie says it could see the end to so called 'slipper farming'. 
Peter Kendal, President of the National Farmers Union says the announcement was backward looking instead of moving to a future without subsidies. Whilst Sean Rickard, an independent rural economics consultant says the subsidy system is a social payment and farmers should be able to compete. 
Charlotte Smith visits a mixed farm in Shropshire to see how the changes could impact on the day to day running of the business.

Producer: Angela Frain.

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