AHDB/HGCA present analysis into potential impact of CAP greening policy measures at NFUS Scotland
AHDB/HGCA recently presented analysis into the potential impact of CAP greening policy measures on combinable cropping farms in Great Britain at the NFU Scotland Conference.
Michael Archer – AHDB MI Research and Industry Manager – shared the stage with Defra Secretary of State Caroline Spelman and MEP George Lyon to discuss CAP Reform at the event which looked at Developing Greening Options for Northern Europe.
The presentation demonstrated that a significant percentage of farmers in Great Britain are likely to be affected by the draft greening proposals released by the European Commission in October 2011.
Michael said: “Our analysis into the proposal that 7% of productive land will need to be an Environmental Focus Area and that a number of Crop Diversification rules will have to be met shows that over three-quarters of combinable cropping farms in some regions of Great Britain will be affected in some way by the measures. Farms operating certain rotations in specific conditions could face reductions in average gross margin of up to £48/ha. AHDB’s presence at the event followed recent use of the same analysis as evidence in an official European Parliament committee debate on the impact of the greening measures.”
New committee chairmen
HGCA Board member Mike Hambly will take over as chairman of the BCE Advisory Committee from November – the committee advises the HGCA board on export promotion activity.
Mr Hambly, who farms in Cornwall, will replace outgoing BCE Chairman George Forbes. Mr Forbes, who farms in Coldstream, has chaired HGCA’s BCE Committee for six years and has served on the committee since October 2000.
Richard Whitlock, who joined the HGCA Board earlier this month as its trade representative, takes over as Chairman of HGCA’s Market Information Cereals Committee (MICC) in May. This committee approves the UK cereal supply and demand estimates and provide feedback on AHDB’s Market Intelligence activities for the cereals and oilseeds sector. Mr Whitlock replaces former MICC chairman Alastair Dickie.
