CLA says new CAP payments must help upland farmers

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) logo

The CLA is calling for the redistribution of CAP payments to benefit upland farmers.

The Association says it seems likely that upland farmers will lose crucial income they currently receive for rural development initiatives through Pillar 2, under the latest round of CAP reform.

Should this happen, the CLA in the North is calling for an adjustment to the proportion of direct payments upland farmers receive from Pillar 1 to reflect this.

CLA North Regional Director Dorothy Fairburn said: “Redistributing CAP payments to benefit uplands farmland will come at a cost to lowland farmers. However, we believe losing a small amount of money per hectare - around £2 or £3 - is an acceptable loss to secure a huge gain for smaller uplands farms.”

She added: “Hill farming provides much-needed social and environmental benefits, including maintaining many of the iconic Northern landscapes that we treasure and enjoy, so it is crucial that CAP reform maintains the viability of these small but necessary farms.”