EU OR NOT – WILL FARMERS FACE SIMILAR REGULATIONS REGARDLESS?

The Common Agricultural Policy is a huge part of every UK farmer’s business model. With a number of grant and subsidy schemes which have in the past included subsidising the acquisition of rainwater harvesting tanks and other storage tanks, the impending referendum on whether or not the UK stays in the European Union will be of great interest to a large number of farmers, as well as suppliers like Enduramaxx. Farming UK spoke to Hew Thomas, NFU Cymru Assembly Advisor on the matter this week. Although it is not clear when exactly the referendum will take place other than before 2017, what is even less clear is, should the UK part company with the EU, what will the UK’s relationship with the EU look like and how will the conditions under which our farmers operate alter? Thomas points out that European countries that opted not to not join the EU face similar levels of bureaucracy and that the UK would still have to apply the World Trade Organisation’s global rules on trade if it wanted to export to the EU. Therefore, having to comply with EU standards whether a member of not is highly likely. The withdrawal of The European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and of course, direct payments under the CAP will all leave severe holes in many a UK farmer’s financials. With no definitive date for the referendum yet, no matter what your stance is on UK farming and EU membership, the next few months ahead will without doubt forge the future shape of British agriculture.

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