Wales Farmer March 2013 NEWS 3 CAPreform: Have your say on crucial issue


Payment switch is good news for most farmers


■ Large dairy farms will be biggest losers


NEARLY half of all farm- ers in Wales will be better off when the country switches to area-based subsidy


payments, according to the Welsh


Government. Aconsultation document


which seeks the views of Welsh farmers on howdirect payments will be made suggests that48% of farms would gain under the newflatrateBasic Payment although 35% would lose at least 10% of their current payment. Only17% would remain with-


in 10% of what they currently receive under the historical pay- ment model. Farmsthatwill lose out are


those with large historical enti- tlements,mainlydairy units; they would receive ‘significantly less’ funding under aflatrate payment, according to the docu- ment.


Although the Welsh


Government accepts thatthere would be no additional funding and payments would therefore have to be ‘redistributed’, the transition period has been of greatconcern. “The Welsh Government has


argued foratransition period of up to ten years and we think that the argument foralong transi-


By Debbie James


tion period is being listened to,” the consultation document states. This extended transition


would allowWelsh farmers to manage what will be asignificant adjustment to their income because the Single Payment, on average, represents ahigher per- centage of net farmincome than in


England. The Welsh


Government favours astep change of between 10% and 20%.


The impact of capping in


Wales is likelytobeminimal. Early estimates indicate that when Wales needs to be making area based payments in full, 0.1% of all farms –around 0.1% –would lose out by 1.2 million euros. Wales’ deputy farming minis-


ter,Alun Davies,urged farmers to have their sayinthe consulta- tion process. “I would encourageall farm-


ers in Wales to engage with this public consultation and Ilook forwardtoreceiving detailed and constructive contributions,so thatwecan develop the best pro- posals and outcomes forthose at the sharp end, those farmers whowill be most affected by changes to CAP,” he said.


LOSING OUT: Wales’ dairy farms are likely to be the biggest losers when the direct payment system


changes. PICTURE: Debbie James.


ALL FARMERS in Wales are being urged to have their sayon the biggest issue affecting the futureofWelsh agriculture. With direct payments making


up alarge percentage of Welsh farmincomes,the futureofthe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is something on which people arebound to have


Rural voice is ‘loud and clear’ in Europe


THE voice of farmers is being heardloud and clear inside the European Parliament, atop union official has said. National Farmers’ Union


(NFU) deputy president Meurig Raymond, whofarms in Pembrokeshire,


Cymru members at


told NFU the


Monmouthshireannual county conference: “The union has worked tirelesslywith MEPs for months to makesurethatthe voice of our members is heard loud and clear inside the European Parliament. Those efforts arenow paying off. “Weweredeeplydisappointed


with the commission’s proposals when they were issued almost 18 months ago, butthe vote by the


European Parliament’sagricul- turecommittee has brought about significant improvement in manyareas,removing some of the worst excesses of unneces- sary bureaucracy and redtape from the proposals.” The union lobbied against the distorting economic active farmer test, which would have meant every farmer in the coun- try having to disclose their non- agricultural receipts to qualify forCAP payments. MEPs were also asked to


makethe greening proposals moreworkableand foramore proportionate risk-based penalty system, which includes an early warning system forbreaches of a moreminor nature.


“Wealso requested thatthe


exchange rate used to calculate the value of farmpayments be done on the basis of the average of amonth as opposed to being set on one day, as is currentlythe case,” added Mr Raymond. “MEPs have deliveredfor us


on all of these areas and more. Unfortunatelynot everything has gone entirelyour way.” Nigel Bowyer,NFU Cymru Monmouthshirecounty chair- man said: “It is encouraging to hear about the work of the union on our behalf –taking place in Cardiff, Westminster and in Brussels.” The draft position will head to


the European Parliament plena- ry session in mid-March.


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strong opinions. To makesureWales’ voice is


properly heardinEurope during the next round of CAP negotiations,deputy minister foragricultureAlun Davies is urging people to takepart in ‘one of the most important consultations’ he has ever launched.


He said: “My role is to


ensurethatthe needs and views of the industry arerepresented and understood so thatweget the best outcome forWales. “I am committed to


delivering an agricultural industry thatisstrong, sustainableand capableof supporting vibrant rural


communities across Wales. During the coming months I will be continuing to do my utmost in Brussels and London to ensurethatWales’ needs are taken into account.” The consultation is open


until April 23rdand is available on the Welsh Government website wales.gov.uk.


Lib Dems hear CAP concerns


CONCERNS and priorities over the impact of CAP reform on Welsh farmers were high- lighted during ameeting between the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) and Liberal Democrat politicians. At the meeting, Brecon and


RadnorshireMPRoger Williams and Mid and West Wales AM William Powell – both FUW members –and Ceredigion MP MarkWilliams were told the majority of the CAP amendments proposed by the EU’sagriculturecommittee would significantlyreduce the adverse impact of the original proposals. Breconshirefarmer Brian


Bowen, vice-chairman of the FUW’slivestock, wool and marts committee,said: “The MEPs certainlyseem to under- stand agricultureand recognise the need to maintain EU food security far morethan the com-


TALKING POLICY: (Fromleft)FUW Brecon and Radnor county executiveofficer Aled Jones; AM William Powell; FUW member Brian Bowen; Ceredigion MP Mark Williams;Brecon and Radnorshire MP RogerWilliams; and FUW director of policy Nick Fenwick.


mission and, as such, they have agreed amendments which would significantlyreduce the impact of the original proposals forWelsh farmers.” However,MrBowen said the devil would be in the detail.


He added: “The worries over


what system is finallyadopted will compound concerns over the impact thatthe terrible weather,collapse in lamb prices and loss of upland support has had on farmincomes.”


OUTSTANDING INYOUR FIELD


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