Lyon to highlight threat to Scotland's LFA areas

10.36.47am GMT Thu 4th Feb 2010

George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, will table amendments to the European Agriculture Committee's report on Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) calling on the Commission to include two extra criteria for defining which areas should receive LFA support in the future to better reflect the handicaps faced by Scottish farmers.

The amendments would add isolation (distance from markets and remoteness) and field capacity days (to reflect the limitations of wet unworkable soils and high rainfall) to the Commission's current list of eight which focus on soil types as the key determining factor.

The amendments would also require the Commission to allow a phasing out period for land that would no longer be included in the LFA scheme to allow farmers to adjust to new circumstances.

Mr Lyon will also work to ensure that the Scottish Government has the freedom to fine tune the areas to be included in the new map defining LFA land in Scotland.

George Lyon MEPCommenting, Mr Lyon said:

"The LFA scheme is vital to the survival of livestock farming across much of Scotland.

"There is a real threat that we could lose out under the Commissions new qualifying criteria for designating LFA land and therefore I am proposing changes to better reflect the handicaps we face here in Scotland.

"It is vital that isolation and remoteness is recognised otherwise fertile areas such as Orkney could be dropped from the new LFA map. That would make a mockery of the LFA scheme.

"It is essential that the huge handicaps faced by producers in island and remote areas of Scotland continue to be properly compensated for by LFA payments.

"I also believe that field capacity should be included to reflect the disadvantages farmers face from high rainfall and water logged fields.

"Farmers with land that is no longer included in the LFA scheme must have time to adjust to the loss of income through a proper phasing out period.

"The amendments I am proposing would ensure that farmers in Scotland who face genuine disadvantage would not lose out under the new regime.

"I am sure the European Agriculture Committee will vote for these changes and I hope the Commission, who have said they are open minded on this matter, will accept them."