We do however have some concerns over what is now being proposed, and we see no immediate need to move away from the formula currently used to allocate UK CAP receipts from the EU, amongst the home nations.
Today’s statement speaks of a number of factors which will be taken into account in determining future allocations of funding amongst the home nations, including environmental, agricultural, socio-economic considerations as well as matters such as farm numbers and farm size. The obvious question is of course, what level of weighting might be given to each of these factors in determining the respective allocations of each of the home nations, and how we the ensure that Wales does not lose out as a result of the moving towards a different basis for the allocation of funding.
During the referendum campaign the expectation was created that Wales would not lose out on a penny as a result of our departure from the EU. NFU Cymru looks forward to engaging with the independent advisory panel over the coming months with the firm view of ensuring that Welsh farmers do not lose out on any funding as a result of our departure from the EU.
The support that Wales’ farmers currently receive is crucial to underpinning a food and drink industry worth almost £7bn, and helps maintain thriving rural communities.
This is in response to a statement from UK Government stating that an independent panel will look at how funding supports the needs of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.