Case pleaded for hill farm support (From Western Telegraph)

Case pleaded for hill farm support

10:30am Thursday 5th February 2009

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A large area of Pembrokeshire’s farmland could be under threat if plans to change the boundaries for a crucial support scheme are changed.

The European Commission is considering changing the criteria for Less Favoured Areas (LFAs), which are difficult to farm due to climate, location or landscape limitations. The criteria currently include socio-economic considerations, but could be changed to purely natural limitations to farming.

About 80% of Welsh farmland is classified as an LFA, including areas of north and east Pembrokeshire.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales and NFU Cymru both gave evidence to a House of Lords committee inquiry into the EC review last week, pleading the case to retain Wales’ current LFA boundary.

Dai Davies, NFU Cymru president, who farms near St Clears said: “The current LFA boundary in Wales is based on robust, objective and transparent criteria and the support delivered through LFA funding is crucial to the survival of farming in 80% of Wales.”

FUW policy director Nicholas Fenwick added: “Wales’ unique habitats are a direct result of past and present farming practices, and increased economic pressures, such as the removal of LFA status, would have an adverse impact on Wales’ environment and rural communities.”

The unions both claimed proposals for a European-wide standard criteria for designating LFAs will not work.

Dr Fenwick said: “The proposals to use common criteria throughout Europe seems simply ridiculous. How can you possibly judge a Welsh upland farm on the same simplistic criteria as a tobacco or rice farm in southern Europe?

“The one-size-fits-all approach being suggested is simply ridiculous when you take account of such variance.”

Dai Davies added: “It is important that if common criteria are to be used they cover all the potential handicaps throughout the member states.”

Figures published in November show the average net income for cattle and sheep farms in Welsh LFAs was just £12,200.

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