“There is nothing simple about administering the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and this latest Reform is very complicated. The European Commission originally estimated it would cost an estimated 15% more for EU Member States to administer this CAP due to its complexities, including the greening Regulations within the agreement,” said Andrew Slade, Welsh Government Director of Agriculture, Food and Marine at a recent Monmouthshire NFU Cymru county meeting.
Andrew Slade said, “My view is that we are unlikely to see a major policy change at the anticipated mid-term Review, but changes to the greening rules are most likely. The EU’s greening policy was not really designed with a country like Wales in mind and there is an acceptance at a European level that simplification is needed to the new CAP arrangements.”
Farmers present raised their concerns on the detail of the recently launched Sustainable Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) element of the Wales Rural Development Programme (RDP). A key message from NFU Cymru members in Monmouthshire was that the ÂŁ40,000 minimum total investment threshold for the SPGS was too high and that many producers would be put off by the high level of investment required to take advantage of the grant available.
Gary Yeomans, NFU Cymru Monmouthshire County Chairman, who hosted the meeting at his farm near Llanvetherine, Abergavenny, said, “Monmouthshire farmers strongly believe that a small grant scheme that is easy to access and that would allow for multiple applications over the period of the RDP needs to be introduced without delay, making it possible for a larger numbers of farmers to make small scale investments.”
Andrew Slade concluded, “Wales as a country is large enough to make a difference but small and nimble enough to make things happen. It is possible to get key stakeholders around the table to address both challenges and opportunities and bring about real change on the ground. However, the current situation of low milk and lamb prices has highlighted how exposed the industry is to price volatility and there is a huge challenge ahead to find ways to deal with the peaks and troughs associated with operating in World markets.”
The meeting arranged was a fundraising event for the Gwent feature county of the Royal Welsh Show and a vote of thanks was provided by David Morgan, President of the 2015 Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.