Defra Secretary Owen Paterson has told Farmers Guardian that UK agriculture could be better served if Britain leaves the European Union.

This was during an online discussion on the CAP, the same day that David Cameron finally announced he will offer the British public an "in-out" referendum on membership of the EU. Mr Paterson said the UK would "do a good job" of making its own decisions on agricultural policy.

"Within Europe the CAP is moving away from pure food subsidy to a more environmental policy, and we are seeing that in the negotiations it is impossible to impose a one-size-fits-all policy", Paterson adds, then declaring, "I'm completely clear that as we move towards a more environmental policy, these sort of decisions are much better made at national and local level".

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No ... it's comparative. Two decades ago, I guess you would have got 90 percent support for the EU. To get only just over 50 percent is pretty amazing.

As to tailoring policy to the needs of UK farmers, that is definitely the intent, but we won't see subsidies disappear in a hurry. There won't be much saving.

The existing regime does not end until 2020. It would be unwise to attempt anything before then.

Edited by user 25 January 2013 18:51:41(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

It's the holder of the 'entitlements' who gets the dosh - 95% of the time that's the farmer, but there are some tenant farmers who don't get it (it goes to the landlord), but their rent reflects that.

I'm a tenant farner, I hold the entitlements for this farm, so I get the dosh from the EU. I would have made a loss every year in the last 15 without it. Then again, I'm not a very good farmer....

But there is a surprising anti-EU sentiment among us farmers, despite the masssive cheques, and it is all down to the EU-inspired paperwork, interference, and utter nonsense, with just perhaps a hint of sovereignty concerns . And there has indeed been discussion about some sort of BAP (British Agricultural Policy) that could replace it. Without having to subsidise non-existent olive groves and dairy herds that appear to be on the 12th floor of blocks of flats, our system could be far more efficient.

The final factor is the storming price of wheat, thanks to the world shortage. That's making those subsidy cheques less relevant, and hence the squealing last week when plans were announced to 'double-up' subsidy payments for environmental schemes. A particularly violent reaction from the WWF ( http://www.wwf.org.uk/wh...suffer-from-illegal-move ) which I'm trying to deconstruct for my column in Farmers Weekly. Funnily enough, they seem hesitant to talk to me.
Anyway, the point is that it all those iffy corners of the farm which were best left alone (ie in environmental schemes) back when wheat was £56/ton are now worth returning to the plough with wheat at £250. It's not rocket science! (That's lettuces).