farming news for Farming Today listeners

[james armstrong]

Here are 530 words explaining CAP which take  less than three minutes to read out.
The information is taken from an official HMG source -  the  1997 C.O.I. handbook. 
Its way out of date, but since 1997 this sort of information has not filtered out to BBC Farming Today listeners.
Maybe you think, as I do,  its time that it did. If so I am  very willing to blag the Central Office of Information to provide an up to date version.
One idea would be an FT  programme (series)  evaluating forty years of CAP and trying to do so in more relevant  units than the BTO's reported 80% decline in farmland birds - larks, lapwings and  corn buntings.
I have also asked my M.P. to ask the Chancellor to start including some of these large items of  public expenditure in future Budget speeches.
and suggested the need for an annual official evaluation of the sums spent on C.A.P.  
If I can be of help, please let me know.
James Armstrong





Britain
1997 Official Hand Book – H.M.S.O.,  prepared
by Central Office of Information, .  -  an extract by James Armstrong  

 

The original aims
of CAP…. Common Agricultural Policy 

Increase agricultural productivity  and efficiency, thus to insure a fair standard
of living for producers, to stabilize markets and to ensure supplies to
consumers at reasonable prices.

 

The main
mechanisms for achieving this….

A combination of support prices, import duties and market
intervention.  When prices of commodities
fell below agreed levels Intervention Board bought the goods for later resale.
Intervention stocks were exported or disposed of…  The market support system not only raised
prices for consumers but encouraged surplus production.

 

Public expenditure
under CAP…..

Regulation  ‘95-96  est £2,753 million .  Price guarantees est £280 million




Farmers now receive most of their financial support in the
form of direct payments from the Exchequer….The government funds expenditure in
Britain and
later claims reimbursement from the EU.  Britain
contributes to this reimbursements through payments to the EU budget, to which
it is a net contributor.

 

The government has made clear its view that the CAP is too
costly for consumers and taxpayers…

 

The aim…. 

Phasing out of artificial production controls, quotas and
set-aside.

(GATT restrictions on the levels of subsidized exports….will
prevent these surpluses being sold on the world market)

 

Some of the CAP
schemes

Beef special premium….estimated
expenditure £328 million in Britain.

Suckler cows premium…£258
million

Support for beef
prices..£94 million

Sheep annual premium £425
million

 

GATT Uruguay round…..

(will ensure) Reduction of  import protection and of subsidizes exports.

Britain
participates in World Trading Organisation measures. 

 

Price Guarantees 

via) Regulation, grants
and subsidies – expenditure
in Britain

Farmers are eligible for grants aimed at environmental
enhancement of their farms. 

 

Grants aimed at
environmental enhancement….

Least favoured areas- farmers receive £650 million- direct
livestock subsidy payments

Environmentally sensitive areas (ESA’s)  

 (Table 18.6 here )

Payments to UK farmers £35.6million

ESA remains Britain’s largest environmental scheme. Farmers receive
annual payments  for carrying out farming
practices  which benefit nature conservation,
the landscape and historic features.

 

Countryside
stewardship…..

£11.6 million plus £5 million

 

Other schemes..

Nitrate sensitive areas- £3.6 million

Nitrate vulnerable zones 

 

Organic aid
schemes..

Arable area payments

British habitat schemes to protect wildlife habitats

Moorland schemes

Countryside access schemes provide open space  on set- aside land accessible to the general
public.

 

The Farm woodland
premium scheme

Encourages farmers to convert productive arable land to
woodland by providing payments for 15 years and are in addition to WG S (below)


 

Woodland grant
scheme (W G S)

Pays grants to create new woodlands and forests

 

Rural economy

The EU has allocated £376 million in England
for farm diversification, tourism and environmental management. 

 LEADER Two initiatives
designed to help small scale innovative measures to benefit local areas  £112million

 

Farmlink -  to promote the understanding of agriculture

 

Related……

(not CAP but)   Forestry 


The government is spending £240 million to support state and
private forests.  

 

(not CAP but)Countryside
Commission and English Nature and in Scotland & Wales 

with budgets of £85million and £35million and  a remit to protect nature, wildlife and the
countryside and people’s access to it…make grants to landowners and farmers to
further land management agreements.   

 

  James Armstrong      May 2012                             

 

 

 

 


  
 		 	   		  
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