Changes to European Farm Subsidies

[charliep]

Interesting comment in BBC today about CAP reform/potential changes to European farm subsidy programs.

[URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15272815"]EU[/URL]

[malta]

Thanks Charlie. I find in amazing that as many EU countries approach bankrupcy they are still not looking to cut farm subsidies. Half of the EU budget goes to these subsidies and yet they remain sacred. I'm not surprised they would move 30% of it to environmental measures but again am surprised they consider leaving 30% of the land fallow an environmental measure. If they do freeze spending through 2020 that should be good for the world economy and Canadian Agriculture.

[charliep]

I would be watching the Farm Bill debate in the US as well. Potentially an end to dirct payments and cuts to crop insurance support.

[wilagro]

malta: The EU countries learned their lesson after two World Wars and want assured food supply. If farm subsidies are needed for this then why would they want to reduce them?

I question the "environmentalism" that is creeping into their qualification for subsidies as their farming methods are being shaped by "do-gooders" who know little or nothing of farming or methods used in production of their food. Of course North America faces the same problems with retrograde legislation or regulation proposed by non-farmers such as that reviled PETA group.

[Francksaskfarmer]

Willagro,
From the 60s to 1992 the European ag subsidies were geared toward self-sufficiency in food encouraging production for the reason you stated. However with costly overproduction the CAP from 92 on was geared toward regulated production giving a “carrot” as farm subsidies on acreage in exchange for environmental practices. If subsidies were cut farmers would have to increase their production to be sustainable. I firmly believe that today’s bureaucrats have lost touch with the food policies of the 60s.

[hedgehog]

as a recipient of eu subsidy, i would rather there was none.
they go to all the wrong people, and have raised the price of land seven fold in seven years.
as a tenant farmer, acreage subs are a disaster, as any landowner merely collects the govt chq and lets the weeds grow.
tenants are being cleared at a rate not seen since the highland clearances.