Time to Cap CAP

Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, has teamed up with Germany, to effectively stop a proposal to limit the amount of public money a landowner can capture under the Common Agricultural Policy. The Single Farm Payment – is paid out by the hectare, so the more farmland you own, the more money you get. The Single Farm Payment is one of the reasons foreign millionaires own vast areas of farmland in the UK. They probably pay little or no tax in the UK, yet they receive millions in CAP farm subsidies - they are super-rich benefit scroungers. I strongly support our farmers, as food is vital to life it is quite right that public money be used to subsidise agriculture; however an unlimited subsidy system damages the interests of small, medium and family farms. It reinforces the economies of scale enjoyed by the biggest landlords, helping them to drive the small producers out of business. A maximum payment would help small farmers compete with the big boys. “CAP is Crap” slogan of the LYMEC (European Liberal Youth) campaign on the Common Agricultural Policy.