Shift in focus of debate demanded

AN MEP has expressed disappointment at the debate on the future of Common Agricultural Policy subsidies becoming polarised.

Liberal Democrat George Lyon said the discussion was in danger of descending into divisiveness because there was too much focus on where support should be focused and on the potential winners and losers of any change.

He told a meeting of the Argyll and Island NFU region: “This kind of talk will get us nowhere. The debate needs to shift to the big battle of defending the CAP budget from deep and painful cuts. The industry needs powerful arguments to prove why CAP should continue to be funded at current levels.”

Mr Lyon said food security would be one of the key defences in maintaining CAP budgets but it was not enough alone. The debate also needed to focus on the role of farmers in delivering public goods such as preservation of the environment and maintaining high standards of animal welfare and food quality. He added: “It is vital we develop these wider arguments to persuade consumers and taxpayers that the CAP is still relevant and provides good value for money.”

Argyll and Islands NFU regional vice-chairman John Semple believed it easy to justify continued support in the area as agriculture underpinned much of the economy in addition to delivering environmental benefits through land management.

Mr Lyon also stressed the role agriculture could play in absorbing carbon emissions in the land and in crops.