Roger Williams MP
Commenting on the debate on Common Agriculture Policy, Roger Williams MP said:
“The reform of the policy has ensured that less of the European budget is being spent on agriculture and the policy has less detrimental effects on third world countries. However, the purpose of the CAP, to close the gap between incomes in rural and urban areas, is still relevant and important. The CAP delivers large amounts of funds into rural areas and ensures that UK agriculture is in a position to feed the nation and contribute to world food supplies at a time when the global population will expand to 9 billion people by 2050.
“The Single Farm Payment, which goes directly to farmers, is often criticised and indeed the Conservative Farm Minister, George Eustice MP, in written evidence to the EFRA select committee stated: “Farm subsidies can allow inefficient farmers to continue to operate a farm rather than exit the industry”. I see this entirely differently. Many farmers who have been unable to meet the challenges of new skills and technology have left the industry already. The Single Farm Payment enables farmers to stay competitive in a challenging global market for food and stay resilient in the face of very volatile food prices. For instance, we have recently seen the price of beef and lamb fall by around 25%.
“Family farmers are at the core of the community in rural Wales and funds they receive are circulated in the economy to the benefit of many other businesses.”
