The NFU has responded to a statement on CAP modulation from Maria Eagle, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
In a speech at RSPB’s head office in Sandy, Bedfordshire, she said that Labour, if elected: “will move to a full 15% of CAP money going to pillar 2 from 2017. No review. No rehearsing of the arguments.”
The NFU said: "English farmers were rightly infuriated when the current coalition Government looked like it was going to introducing the maximum pillar transfer of 15% from 2014 onwards.
"This announcement on Twitter from the Labour Party, undermining the need for a proper assessment, will equally infuriate and perplex English farmers. The NFU fought hard for Government to base its decisions on solid evidence.
"The current Government agreed that it would review demand for agri-environment schemes and assess the competitiveness of English agriculture before moving to a 15% transfer rate. The NFU agreed that this was the right approach to take and it would clearly be disappointing if this was not followed through.
“If indeed a review of the schemes on offer proves that there is clear evidence of demand from farmers for additional RDPE funds by 2017, the NFU would not oppose an increase in the modulation rate”
