Reforms spark cash fear

Originally from: PoppaC
                        
http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/0500business/northernfarming/content_objectid=14022519_method=full_siteid=50081_headline=-Reforms-spark-cash-fear-name_page.html

Reforms spark cash fear
Mar 6 2004

By Jennifer Mackenzie, The Journal

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has written to Secretary of State Margaret Beckett outlining its concerns over the recent announcements about the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

As an organisation representing the sheep industry throughout the UK, the NSA is particularly worried about the effects of using different systems for calculating the Single Farm Payment operated in the four devolved countries of the UK and the impact that this will have on their respective sheep sectors.

With the adoption of this policy the NSA believes there is potential for the destabilisation of the whole livestock industry, grassland environment and rural economy in many areas.

This would be as a consequence of changes in the numbers and balance of livestock that farmers keep when the reforms are implemented in 2005.

Within the context of the English system the NSA has highlighted to the Secretary of State the considerable income redistribution that will occur in the uplands. This will happen, it says, as a consequence of the decision to split England into two regions based on Severely Disadvantaged Land (SDA) and all other land.

This point is particularly salient as the whole stated purpose of splitting England into two regions was to minimise this redistribution.

NSA chief executive John Thorley said: "Serious income redistribution resulting from these reforms will have consequences that will reach out far into agriculture affecting both grazing and trading patterns.

"This in turn will impact on the environment, landscape and socio-economic structures in rural areas.

"We therefore have to ensure that these changes are implemented in such a way as to minimise this redistribution"

The NSA is seeking a meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss the concerns it has and to explore ways forward.

It hopes to minimise the effects for the sheep industry and meet the desires and demands of the many other interested parties both inside and outside of agriculture.