Agricultural leaders are concerned about a lack of clarity and detail in the government’s Brexit funding promises.
The government has pledged to maintain farming subsidies at their current level until 2020. AndFarmers Weeklyreported that at the recent Conservative Party conference Chancellor Philip Hammond reiterated a guarantee he made in August that the Treasury would continue to finance all agri-environment schemes until Britain leaves the EU – so long as they were signed up to before last month’s Autumn Statement.
But growers were given cause for concern when the Treasury and the Department for Exiting the EU issued a joint statement saying that Hammond’s pledge would only be honoured if projects were good value for money and “in line with domestic strategic priorities”, the trade magazine said.
George Freeman, a policy advisor to Theresa May and Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk, sparked further worries about the continuation of farming subsidies when he said they might have to be diverted to the NHS unless farmers made a persuasive case as to why they should remain in agriculture.
Glyn Roberts, president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales, is calling for ministers to end the uncertainty, by delivering “careful and precise” statements,Farmers Weeklyreported.
The pledge to end CAP Pillar 1 support in 2020, while possibly continuing with CAP Pillar 2 funding until 2022, is adding to the confusion, he believes.
No comments yet