Common agricultural policy savings must be given to small farmers

Commenting ahead of the publication tomorrow of European Commission proposals to reform the Common Agricultural Policy, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson, Roger Williams MP said:

"Capping the amount of subsidy given to individual farmers is a welcome step. However, the Commission must ensure that all the savings are redistributed to smaller farmers.

"It is outrageous that up to 80% of subsidies go to the largest 20% of farmers rather than to those who are most in need.

"The idea of these subsidies is to maintain agricultural land in good condition, not to pay large amounts of taxpayers' money to millionaire landowners."