UK growers and farmers representatives have spoken out against chancellor Alistair Darling’s call for an end to direct payments to farmers to help address food inflation.

NFU Scotland president Jim McLaren criticised the UK Treasury for its simplistic stance on the future of farm support payments, accusing the administration of being out of touch and lacking credibility on the EU stage in light of the letter sent by Darling ot his fellow EU finance ministers.

McLaren said: “I find it remarkable that as we’re about to enter negotiations on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy that the Treasury would undermine the UK government’s credibility by making suggestions for reform which are so far out of touch with reality. There is a perfectly justifiable debate to be had over the role of import tariffs. However, it is complete hypocrisy to push for a trade deal that takes no account of food production standards and would actually damage the very businesses in this country going the extra mile to deliver public benefit. The irony is that the UK Treasury’s policy on the future of the CAP is more likely to cause food inflation and food security problems than address them.”

And the National Farmers’ Union which represents growers in Wales and England said it is dismayed by Chancellor Darling’s letter. “We’ve been assured that the British government would negotiate for a constructive evolution of the CAP in the upcoming Health Check, yet this letter is effectively calling for the CAP to be scrapped,” said NFU president Peter Kendall.

“All the indications are that this letter will irritate others in Europe and be counter-productive to the Government’s wish to see constructive progress on agriculture and trade,” he said.

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