Farmers and growers urged to shape NFU CAP talks
NFU members who want to learn more about the outcome of CAP reform talks and help shape NFU policy are being invited to a series of meetings across the country.
Attention now turns to how Defra will implement the new policy and these meetings will help NFU Senior CAP Adviser Gail Soutar, senior NFU officials and officeholders as they continue to negotiate final terms.
Ms Soutar said: “After 21 months of negotiating, the European decision makers have just about come to a final agreement on the future of the CAP. There are some outstanding issues which will have to be hammered out in the autumn, but by and large the future CAP framework has now been set at the European level, albeit with lots of flexibilities for Defra to choose from.
“Within that framework there are some significant changes to the CAP support and new elements that we want our members to be aware of. We also want to make sure NFU members have the opportunity to shape those changes before they come into force in England from January 1 2015.
“There will be a new basic payment scheme, a new young farmers’ top up scheme, new environmental rules which will unlock a new “greening aid” and a whole raft of optional schemes that Defra could choose to implement.
“Defra has many policy choices. For example around payment entitlements, whether to set a new minimum claim size, whether England’s three different payment regions should be reviewed, what precisely “greening” will entail at farm level and how to define active farming on land such as heather moorland. These are all important questions about how the support system will be set up and administered in the future. Having input and hearing the experiences of practical farmers is critical if we are to keep the future system simple and as fair as possible.
“There are also political decisions for the Government to take in the coming months. For example how to divvy up the UK pot of money amongst England and the devolved nations and whether to modulate up to 15 per cent of the funds from pillar one to pillar two. The meetings will also be an opportunity for members to express their concerns and to continue to inform NFU policy on these important issues.”
The meetings which are open to NFU members will take place as follows:
- Nottinghamshire – Tuesday July 16, 2pm, Newark Show Ground, NG24 2NY
- Derbyshire – Tuesday July 16, 7.30pm, The Bluebell Inn, Ashbourne, DE6 1NH
- Hampshire – Wednesday July 17, 3pm, Sparsholt College, Winchester, SO21 2NF
- Surrey – Wednesday July 17, 7pm, The Parrot Inn, Forest Green, Dorking, RH5 5RZ
- Essex – Thursday July 18, 8am, Blakes Golf Club, Epping Road, North Weald, Epping, Essex, CM16 6RZ
- Beds, Hunts, Herts, Cambs – Thursday July 18, 12.30pm, Huntingdon NFU Group Office, PE28 2PF
- Norfolk – Thursday July 18, 6pm, Morley Business Centre, Wymondham, NR18 9DF
- Suffolk – Friday July 19, 9.30am, The Cedars Hotel, Needham Road, Stowmarket, IP14 2AJ
- Yorkshire East – Monday July 22, 8am, NFU Regional Office, York, YO24 1UD
- York West Riding – Monday July 22, 7.30pm, Rendezvous Hotel, Skipton, BD23 2TA
- North Riding Durham – Tuesday July 23, 8am, Scotch Corner Hotel, DL10 6NR
- Northumberland -Tuesday July 23, 7.30pm, Kirkley Hall, Ponteland, Kirkley Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE20 0AQ
- Kent – Thursday July 25, 7pm, Great Danes Hotel, Maidstone
- Sussex – Monday July 29, 7pm, Ardingley Centre, Ardingley
- Shropshire – Tuesday July 30, 2pm, NFU regional office, Telford, TF3 4NR
- Staffordshire – Tuesday July 30, 7.30pm, South Staffs College Rodbaston Campus, Penkridge, ST19 5PH
- Warwickshire – Wednesday July 31, 2pm, Jersey pavilion, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh
- Worcs / Hereford – Wednesday July 31, 7.30pm, Hawford YFC Centre, Hawford, WR3 7SG
- Gloucestershire – Thursday August 1, Agriculture House, Sandhurst Road, Gloucester, GL2 9RG
- Cheshire – Thursday August 1, 10am, Heyrose Golf Club, Budworth Road, Tabley, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 0HZ
- Lancashire – Thursday August 1, 2pm, Agriculture House, 1 Moss Lane View, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 9TL
- Cumbria – Thursday August 1, 7.30pm Kendal Auction, J36 Rural Auction Centre, Crooklands, Milnthorpe, Cumbria, LA7 7FP
- Cumbria – Friday August 2, 10am, The Shepherds Inn & Auctioneer, Montgomery Way, Rosehill Estate, Carlisle, CA1 2RR
Further NFU County meetings are organised later in the year as follows, full details to follow.
- Wiltshire – Tuesday 8 October Stanton Manor, Stanton Saint Quintin, near Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 6DQ
- Somerset – Tuesday October 8, 1pm, J24
- Cornwall – Tuesday October 8, 7pm, Trethorne Leisure Farm, Kennards House Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 8QE
- Cornwall – Wednesday October 9, 8am, St Mellion, Saltash, Cornwall
- Devon – Wednesday October 9, 1pm, Regional NFU Office, Exeter
- Dorset – Wednesday October 9, 7.30pm, Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester
- Isle of Wight – Thursday October 10 (TBC)
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