Common Agricultural Policy
(asked on 30th October 2014) - View Source
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of greening measures included in reform of the Common Agricultural Policy on UK farming.
An assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of Greening in England was published in the evidence paper which accompanied the consultation of the Common Agricultural Policy in October 2013. A revised assessment will be published alongside the associated Statutory Instruments towards the end of the year.
The Crop Diversification requirement was assessed to affect 7% of farms, containing 12% of the arable area. The costs in terms of foregone production were estimated to lie between £12.3m and £99.5m per annum, with a central estimate of £55.9m.
The Ecological Focus Area requirement was assessed to affect between 20% and 40% of farms, containing between 30% and 50% of the arable area. The costs in terms of foregone production were estimated to lie between £24.6m and £49.2m per annum.
The evidence paper was published here: