Brexit offers great opportunity - now the industry must step up and help shape 'Plan B'
We’ve heard a lot about “Plan B”. What is it? And what could the landscape around food and farming look like post Brexit? As an industry that has been subsidised in one way or another for decades, there is a need to sustain a level of support. We now have David Cameron’s assurance that under his administration, the support concept will carry on. The shape, I think, is down to us and our representatives, the NFU, CLA and others need to come forward with good ideas. Let’s th
What would Brexit mean for farmers' incomes? The NFU Report - What it actually said.
The NFU’s Report – What it actually said If the UK votes to leave the EU the Government will have to decide how it will run its agricultural policy, both its trade relationships and farmer direct payments. The NFU funded report prepared by economists from Wageningen modelled the farm income effects of three possible trade arrangements that might follow Brexit. The first option is that the UK agrees a Free Trade Arrangement (FTA) with the EU, and with this scenario the economi
Yorkshire farmer George Welby: EU forces Britain to subsidise Irish farmers, undermining UK beef and
Far from being the "level playing field” some enthusiasts claim, EU subsidies often work to undermine UK farm prices. When the cheque from the RPA arrives (or should arrive) each December, many farmers forget their that direct competitors in other EU counties also get a subsidy cheque, and it’s often much larger. This pushes down the value of our products and in some cases directly subsidises food imports into the UK, undermining our own farmers. How can other countries affor
NFU Brexit Report Summary
Were the UK to leave the EU it has to redefine its trade relationship with the EU and it has to decide what agricultural policy it wishes to pursue. The report commissioned from Wageningen University by the NFU investigates the trade and farm income effects of the three possible trading arrangements that might follow Brexit: 1) a UK-EU Free Trade Arrangement (FTA) a WTO default position a UK Trade Liberalisation (TL) scenario “In each of these scenarios the effects of three d
NFU Brexit report shows positive outcome on the cards for UK farmers post-EU.
The NFU has today published the report it commissioned from Wageningen researchers on the 'Implications of a UK exit from the EU for British agriculture'. The report confirms what Farmers for Britain and other campaigners have been highlighting - British farmers can be better off post-Brexit. The report shows that if area payments are maintained at the current level and either a free trade deal with the EU or default WTO tariffs are put in place then British farmers would do
A BLUEPRINT FOR DEFRA POST-BREXIT
Since DEFRA has not yet outlined a post-Brexit plan, Dr Mary Abbott suggests what this should be: JUNE 2016 - DEFRA should announce: 1. Continuation of Basic Farm Payment (and existing environmental agreements), substantially unchanged for the foreseeable future. Treasury to save £1.7bn annually from 2018. 2. Initiation of discussions with the industry on additional (WTO compatible) mechanisms for supporting agriculture in the future including: Insurance schemes for crops and
