British farmers can count on subsidies until 2024. This was announced by the British Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, at the Oxford Farming Conference. The subsidies worth more than €11 million will replace the European CAP subsidies.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU) annually provides millions of euros in subsidies to British farmers, among others. As soon as Brexit is finalized (the target date is March 29, 2019), these subsidies will expire. This prospect has raised concerns among British farmers.
Minister Gove has now promised replacement subsidies for the first 5 years after Brexit. Gove sees Brexit as the ultimate opportunity to transform British agricultural policy and wants to use the subsidies for this.
Hate subsidies
Gove's new subsidy system is different from the CAP system. Gove is not a fan of this system and mainly criticizes the fact that the level of subsidies is linked to the amount of land the farmer owns. According to Gove, this policy leads to incorrect, inefficient and wrong motivations for farmers, as the largest companies receive the most subsidies. This leads to increases in land prices and hinders the entry of small, innovative and environmentally conscious farms into the market.
Not after 2024
The new subsidy system will reward environmentally conscious and green farms. British farmers therefore no longer receive subsidies based on the amount of land they own, but on the basis of, among other things, green innovation, attention to biodiversity and improvement of water quality. However, Gove warns that farmers should take into account the fact that the subsidies will not continue after 2024.
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