Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
http://www.farmtalking.com/news_landwriter.html

NFU TO PUSH FOR "HISTORIC" SINGLE FARM PAYMENTS

MPs will be told tomorrow that the Government must pay single farm payment associated with the Mid Term CAP reforms on an historical rather than any other basis.

President Sir Ben Gill will go before the Commons EFRA committee with a new mandate from the union's ruling council to push for a historic basis for calculations of the farm payments rather than the "hybrid" system apparently preferred by the Government.

At its latest meeting, the NFU council concluded that while there was no ideal solution for reforming payments to all farmers and growers, the historic calculation was the best.

Under the historic system, the single farm payment would be based on the payments received by a farmer from 2000–2002. Under the regional alternative, payments would have been divided over all farming land leading to a massive redistribution of support.

"The NFU hopes the government will listen carefully to our evidence – we represent farmers and growers right across the industry, whether owners or tenants," said Sir Ben.

"It is vital that DEFRA and its agencies prepare themselves for the biggest revolution in agriculture in 50 years. They are facing a major challenge in delivering this change and must not let down the UK's farmers."