Wales Proposes Organic Land Subsidy

LONDON - Feb 13/03 - SNS -- The Rural Development Minister for Wales, Michael German, will be seeking European Community approval for a subsidy scheme aimed at organic agricultural producers in that country.

Under the proposal growers would be paid to convert land from traditional to organic production methods. "To date more than 550 farms have been entered in the Organic Farming scheme. The support we have provided for conversion, both through the establishment of Organic Centre Wales and through specialized advice delivered as part of the Farming Connect scheme, is tailored to maximize environmental gains as well as delivering a viable organic business," German told reporters.

The current set of changes "are part of a fundamental change in the way agriculture is funded, more and more of the public's money will go towards helping farmers to manage the land for the benefit of environment and countryside, supporting organic farming is part of that change," he stressed.

"The new payment rates are significantly higher than those announced by DEFRA in England. Our arable rate is £5 per hectare or 17% higher; our enclosed land rate is £12 per hectare or 52 pre cent higher, and our unenclosed land rate is £5 per hectare or 100% higher.

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