NFU England and Wales, along with the National Sheep Association (NSA), used their response to Defra’s consultation on post-Brexit rural support to call for a level playing field for farmers across the UK. The NSA warned if there wasn’t consistency over the level of financial support to farmers across the UK, there could be a distortion of trade.
Critical to Scottish farmers is the call to maintain a level playing field on support across the countries of the UK and with respect to main competitors. As it stands, Scottish farmers are paid less per hectare for rough grazing land than in England. However, with larger farm sizes in Scotland the typical payment per farm can be higher.
The consultation response also calls for the current Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) to remain in place during a transition period after the UK leaves the EU. The group went on to say it would not be sensible to put a timeframe on how long this transition lasts, given the need to trial new polices and manage uncertainty around trade and environmental rules.
The NFU argues that cuts to BPS payments to fund new post-Brexit farm programmes during the transition period should be the same for all farmers. And no capping of payments should occur.
“This means that the same percentage reduction should be applied to all recipients, regardless of claim size,” the consultation response reads.
The NSA’s response called for:
Capital investment. Incentives for efficiency improvements.A sheep health scheme. Increased collaboration.A long transition of at least five years post-Brexit. Elsewhere, both the NSA and NFU Scotland have agreed that the UK should set the traceability rules after Brexit in their responses to Defra.
While the paper was primarily English focused, NFU Scotland also submitted their case to stress that Scottish agriculture need to retain a significant amount of autonomy to reflect the “distinctly different needs of Scotland”. They are looking for UK rules to cover pesticides, organic farming, fertilisers, animal health and traceability, food and feed safety, and food labelling. They would also want the same level of funding delivered in a ring-fenced pot.
The Defra command paper Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming, and the environment in a Green Brexit, closed on 8 May.
NFU England and Wales, along with the National Sheep Association (NSA), used their response to Defra’s consultation on post-Brexit rural support to call for a level playing field for farmers across the UK. The NSA warned if there wasn’t consistency over the level of financial support to farmers across the UK, there could be a distortion of trade.
Critical to Scottish farmers is the call to maintain a level playing field on support across the countries of the UK and with respect to main competitors. As it stands, Scottish farmers are paid less per hectare for rough grazing land than in England. However, with larger farm sizes in Scotland the typical payment per farm can be higher.
The consultation response also calls for the current Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) to remain in place during a transition period after the UK leaves the EU. The group went on to say it would not be sensible to put a timeframe on how long this transition lasts, given the need to trial new polices and manage uncertainty around trade and environmental rules.
The NFU argues that cuts to BPS payments to fund new post-Brexit farm programmes during the transition period should be the same for all farmers. And no capping of payments should occur.
“This means that the same percentage reduction should be applied to all recipients, regardless of claim size,” the consultation response reads.
The NSA’s response called for:
Capital investment. Incentives for efficiency improvements.A sheep health scheme. Increased collaboration.A long transition of at least five years post-Brexit. Elsewhere, both the NSA and NFU Scotland have agreed that the UK should set the traceability rules after Brexit in their responses to Defra.
While the paper was primarily English focused, NFU Scotland also submitted their case to stress that Scottish agriculture need to retain a significant amount of autonomy to reflect the “distinctly different needs of Scotland”. They are looking for UK rules to cover pesticides, organic farming, fertilisers, animal health and traceability, food and feed safety, and food labelling. They would also want the same level of funding delivered in a ring-fenced pot.
The Defra command paper Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming, and the environment in a Green Brexit, closed on 8 May.
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