Set Aside Goes

Farmers will be pleased to note that the EU Commission has confirmed that compulsory set aside will not return for the 2009 harvest. This is a welcome relief for farmers who had been worried that it may be as late as November before any political agreement on this issue would be achieved. This prevents farmers having to plant their crops in autumn this year without knowing for certain that there would be no set aside requirement.

The EU addressed the problem by issuing a statement from the special committee on agriculture.

Andrew Bays of BCM comments; "This is very welcome news for farmers allowing them to plan ahead for 2009 harvest and beyond. The way that the statement has been worded by the EU Commission indicates that it would be difficult for the Commission to re-impose set aside in the future. This is a welcome blast of certainty in what seems to be an increasingly uncertain agricultural world."