Glyn Davies, Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, has expressed his concern that Montgomeryshire farmers are being put at a competitive disadvantage compared with England and rest of Europe, following yesterday’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Environment Owen Paterson of changes to Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
New freedoms agreed for EU member states have allowed for the transfer of up to 15% of CAP budgets to be transferred from direct agriculture support (referred to as Pillar One payments) to agri-environment schemes (Pillar Two payments). Yesterday, the Welsh Agriculture Minister announced that the full 15% would be transferred. Today the Secretary of State, responsible for Agriculture in England, decided on 12%, with a review in 2016 before moving to 15%.
Commenting on these announcements, Glyn Davies MP said;
“I am concerned about the competitive position of Welsh farming after today’s announcements about CAP changes, and the disadvantage under which Welsh farmers will have to operate in future years. I accept that the Welsh Government is free to go its own way following devolution, but it’s worrying for me, representing Montgomeryshire farmers, when the Secretary of State for England is listening to the voice of the farming community while the Welsh Government is not.”
“Farmers accept that there will be a movement in support from direct support to
agri-environment schemes but it must be done in a way which does not damage farming unnecessarily. I and farming unions have argued that transferring 12% of CAP payments from direct support to agri-environment is just about manageable and that there should be full assessment of the demand for further change in 2016, as well as a review of the competitiveness across the EU of British farming before going further.
“It seems that Owen Paterson listened and the Welsh Government did not.”
