Government must rise to green farming funding challenge

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)today, Tuesday, waits with bated breath to see how the Government resolves the funding crisis for green farming schemes.

'We're relieved the EU has finally given permission for the Government to transfer a percentage of EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) farming payments to go towards paying for the Environmental Stewardship green farming scheme for landscape and wildlife,' said Ian Woodhurst, CPRE's senior farming campaigner.

'But Defra has a long way to go to meet its target for the area of land covered by the top tier of the Environmental Stewardship Scheme. The Treasury and Defra must rise to the challenge of ensuring this crucial scheme has the funding it needs to do its job,' he continued.

'CPRE welcomes the outcome of the recent negotiations. We believe the Government must now transfer and then match as much of this money as possible to reward farmers everywhere, not just for maintaining but also for enhancing our countryside,' Ian concluded.

Research in Living Landscapes, a joint CPRE/NFU report published in July 2006, showed that farmers undertake around £412 million pounds worth of landscape management every year outside green farming schemes. CPRE believes it is vital that future European farming reforms ensure farmers can continue to manage our precious countryside.