Cap health check must see set-aside scrapped for good

Speaking ahead of today's announcement of a CAP health check, Liz said:

"I hope that the Commission will recognise that the time for set-aside is gone. It has served its purpose and should be scrapped. Increasingly extreme weather across Europe and elsewhere, as well as alternative land use such as growing crops for bio-fuels, has reduced yields and this needs to be addressed.

"Many people think there is something absurd about the notion of paying farmers not to produce on 10% of their land while continuing to farm the remaining 90% as intensively as before. High grain prices are pushing up meat and bread prices for consumers. Bringing set-aside land back into production should help to offset these increases and also help to cut bureaucracy."

Speaking about the unexpected benefits of set-aside which may be lost if set-aside is suspended, Liz added:

"I can understand concern that there have been environmental gains from set-aside areas, strips alongside hedges for example, but there are much better ways to encourage farms to be more green and sustainable, as well as commercially viable.

"We should instead boost green practice through the Environmental Stewardship Scheme. Many farmers say they would like to be greener but the Environmental Stewardship Scheme is under-funded. The newer, second tier of the scheme, Higher Level Stewardship, for more far-reaching environmental projects and practice, is so overstretched that it is hardly worth their while to put in a claim because the budget has been cut. The government and the European Commission could address this.

"I hope all lobby groups who want to see sustainable, green and viable family farms join together to urge Gordon Brown to beef up the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme. The government should also in turn urge the Commission get rid of the anachronism of set-aside for good."