13 May Post-Brexit fears loom as farmers set to lose EU subsidies
My competition entry is for the BJTC Awards for the best Radio News item. The entry requirements are relatively simple, as all you need to be is a student on an accredited BJTC course and it is free to enter. There is no description online about how long the entry must be, however, last years winner was three minutes long. I was, therefore, asked to submit a radio package, on the impact that Brexit is having on farming, that would be between three and four minutes in length. In addition to that, I would submit a 500-word article on my topic. I have fulfilled these requirements by producing an audio piece that is 3:58 long, alongside an article on EU subsidies which comes in at just over 500 words.
The article:
UK farmers are growing increasingly concerned about their businesses following the potential loss of EU subsidies after Brexit.
Brexit could have a heavy impact on farming (James Murray)
Like a number of industries across the UK, agriculture is nervously waiting on what the ramifications of Brexit could mean. The primary concern farmers have, is what will happen to the subsidies they currently receive from the EU. Those subsidies, known as Single Farm Payment, are granted to qualifying businesses throughout the EU – but UK farmers are now set to lose out on those subsidies post-Brexit.
This has caused great uncertainty for farmers all over the country, as it is projected that around 60% of farm incomes are supported through EU payments. It is, therefore, understandable that many farmers believe that the loss of the subsidies will be hugely detrimental to their businesses and the future of farming overall.
One farm owner, who did not wish to be named, underlined the effects of losing subsidies on his business:
“We get a cheque and that subsidises and helps our industry. You take away the subsidies and a lot of farmers are going to be in big trouble. It’s the difference between being okay and being in the negative.
“The ramifications in these subsidies aren’t necessarily just on me. Farmers don’t go on the whole, what they do is they go and re-invest it on machinery and supplying labour to outside work. I assume that’ll just go – we’ll just have to hang on to all the machinery longer and the ramifications to all that is vast.”
In an attempt to combat fears over the loss of EU subsidies, the UK government is expected to introduce a seven-year transitional period from 2021. In addition to that, they are also set to roll out their Environmental Land Management Scheme. During this time, the state will provide funding for farmers – but it will be on a reducing scale, with businesses who place emphasis on being more environmentally friendly, receiving the highest payments.
Andrew Radley, who has been the manager of Melton Road Farm, in North Lincolnshire, for the best part of the last four decades, welcomes attempts to aid the environment within agriculture. He highlighted the efforts his company are already making:
“We are doing some environmentally friendly things already through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. We do this by leaving plots of land to look after the likes of bees, birds and other wildlife. We even drill bird feeders into the ground, which grow and ensure that the birds are well looked after.
“It’s good because we are also rewarded with further grants for helping the environment, which is a positive incentive.”
However, Andrew stated his concerns about the reducing scale of funding highlighted for the Environmental Land Management Scheme and noted the importance of subsidies:
“The subsidies are the difference between profit and loss. The farm grain or crops are all sold on a world market – so we have got no control of anything. We plant a crop in September and we might not sell that crop until the following July – so we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“It’s the unknown what will happen after the transitional period because – if they start reducing funding – that is a real worry. There are no other crops we can grow to make up for that loss and everyone is making it harder for us to grow things. Alongside that, uncertainty over Brexit is certainly not helping.”
The radio package:
