The UK Treasury (Department of Finance) has announced it will maintain all current Pillar 1 funding levels under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to UK farmers until 2020. The Treasury said it will match the current level of agricultural funding to provide “certainty” to its agricultural community.

Following the UK’s decision to leave the EU back in June, there has been much uncertainty as to what level the UK government would be prepared to match previous EU funding, particlularly for farming.

The announcement gives the UK government more time to devise new domestic arrangements for farmer supports post-Brexit and has been welcomed by UK farming organisations.

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The National Farmers Union (NFU) said the decision gives farmers much needed certainty in the short term. The farmer body added that farmers in the UK can now count on receiving the Basic Payment Scheme through to 2020 and that agri-environment schemes already in place are also guaranteed through to their conclusion.

NFU president Meurig Raymond said: “The Treasury’s announcement today is positive for farmers. I hope that this short-term certainty will help to deliver longer-term confidence and this is exactly what farm businesses need now.”

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