Farmers, North Devon (Hansard, 21 July 1987)

§ Mr. MacGregor

Farmers in North Devon, together with those in the rest of the United Kingdom, benefit from the support provided under common agricultural policy market regimes. In the dairy sector, this includes intervention arrangements for butter and skimmed milk powder, protection from low-priced imports by means of the levy system, and refunds to enable the Community to export to world markets. Substantial compensation is available to milk producers who take advantage of the outgoers schemes and for suspension of part of their quota.

Support for the beef producer is provided through the beef variable premium scheme; premium is payable on steers and heifers and young bulls sent to slaughter, provided they meet certain standards as to quality. At its current level the premium is worth about £51 per head—over 11 per cent. higher than it was a year ago. In addition, beef producers benefit from the operation of the intervention system and from the protection afforded to the internal market by levies on imports from third countries. Specialist beef producers (those with no dairy cows) may also benefit from the suckler cow premium scheme, receiving an annual premium of £33.40—an increase of 35 per cent. on a year ago.

Sheep farmers benefit from the support arrangements of the Community's sheep regime. These include the payment of sheep annual premium on breeding ewes in the United Kingdom flock: and, in Great Britain, a variable premium on clean sheep going for slaughter. Sheep producers also benefit from the wool guarantee arrangements operated by the British Wool Marketing Board.

Hill livestock compensatory allowances are payable annually to producers with breeding cattle and sheep in the less favoured areas of North Devon.

The Community's common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables provides for compensation to be paid to recognised producer groups which withdraw certain products from the market. Of products grown in the United Kingdom; cauliflowers, tomatoes, apples and pears are eligible for such compensation. There is also a system of reference prices and countervailing charges to prevent imports into the Community at unduly low prices.

Support under these and other regimes is also available to the mixed farmer. In particular, cereals growers with fewer that 100 hectares of arable and grass may be eligible for the small cereal producers aid scheme. Additionally. 133W potato producers will benefit from the market support arrangements administered by the Potato Marketing Board in Great Britain.

Under the agriculture improvement scheme, grant is available on a wide range of capital investments to small and medium-sized farms, including farms in North Devon, which put forward an acceptable improvement plan. A narrower range of grants is available to all farms for certain investments in horticulture and in works which are environmentally beneficial. The rates of grant vary from 15 per cent. in the lowlands to 60 per cent. in the less-favoured areas of North Devon.

Various grants are also available to co-operatives under the Agricultural and Horticultural Co-operation Scheme, EC Regulation 1035/72 and EC Regulation 355/77.

A full range of ADAS advisory services, including free general advice on conservation, rural diversion and animal health and welfare is available to farmers in North Devon. They also benefit from the plant health measures administered by my Department. Finally, my Department sponsors a wide range of research and development which is intended to be of benefit to the agricultural sector.