§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals his Department has for the use of set-aside land. [29252]
§ Mr. RookerSet-aside is a requirement of the EU's support arrangements for certain arable crops and is intended to limit production of such crops. The uses to which set-aside land can be put are strictly prescribed by EU regulations and include the production of certain crops for industrial use. The Government aim to encourage farmers to manage set-aside land in environmentally beneficial ways.
The Government do not consider compulsory set-aside an appropriate method of managing the EU cereals market and will be seeking its abolition in forthcoming discussion on CAP reform. The EU Commission has proposed that farmers should be able to continue to set-aside land on a voluntary basis after CAP reform and the Government could support this on environmental grounds and to facilitate the production of industrial and energy crops.