Jones stands firm on reforms

Scottish farmers expressing concern over aspects of the reform of the common agricultural policy were met with a stonewall reaction by Gwilym Jones, a member of the European Union’s agricultural commissioner’s team.

“If you agree the framework, then we can work out the details later,” he told the meeting in St Andrews, in response to a comment from the combinable crops committee chairman, Andrew Moir, on how arable farming would be badly affected by new rules limiting the percentage of any three crops on a farm.

Jones said this measure was necessary as there was mono cropping in parts of Europe, especially in maize growing areas and the new rules would soon bring biodiversity benefits.

On the basic principle of moving to an area-based support system Jones said this had to happen. There was no justification in holding on to the historic payments system that related to what happened 20 years ago, he stated.

A large amount of land in Scotland would come into the equation under the new formula, but Jones said there was sufficient leeway to create regions to avoid this problem.

ANDREW ARBUCKLE