To clear up the misconception that farm subsidies have been in place to benefit the farmer.
Subsidies were introduced to enable farmers to produce food at falsely reduced retail prices. In recent years this subsidy has helped to reduce the shortfall between production costs and farm gate returns.
Although the details of the CAP reforms are not yet available it looks as though the British agricultural industry has been sold down the river, we can only plant and maintain a certain amount of hedges and trees (proposed payment areas).
If the agricultural industry is to continue, the removal of the subsidies which I personally agree with, can only mean a rise in farm gate returns. If the food retail industry i.e supermarket chains and so called middlemen are not willing to pass on a larger slice of the differential then British retail prices must rise accordingly.
This scenario will not be allowed to happen because other countries with lower production costs and back door hand outs are already supplying the retail industry throughout Europe. If some of our EU partners (FRANCE) are allowed to continue receiving agricultural aid then what chance have we?
Although I feel very sorry for the farming industry as a whole, e.g. BSE, Foot & Mouth. It is a sad sorry state of affairs, when farmers are forced to diversify and relocate to another country to survive. I would like to see the Government of our country to take the above in to consideration and help the farmers a lot more than what they do at present.
Referring to Kate Ashbrook's comments from the Open Spaces Society:
"I do enjoy walking in the country, and totally agree that more should be done to make pathways more accessible."
I myself was charged by a bull whilst walking through a pathway, and have seem numerous evidence of barbed wire preventing access and neglect.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~29~RS~)
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