Is EU membership good or bad for farming?

The following letter has been taken from this week’s Farmers Weekly Letters page (12 January). Do you agree or disagree?

“Your article “EU funds boosting SW farmers” (News, 15 December) suggests that the EU is good for UK farming. But it is not,” writes Cumbria farmer Edwin Bateman.

“The agreement Tony Blair made in December 2005 increased the net cost to the EU budget from £5.5bn to £10.5bn. Exit the EU, and the UK could pay farmers twice as much and still have money to spare.

“Why is Farmers Weekly so pro the EU?”

Is British agriculture better served by being in or out of the EU? Farmers Weekly supports UK membership of the EU, as we believe the industry would get even less support if left to the discretion of the UK Treasury.

The EU is also our main export market and if we were outside, farmgate prices would collapse as we would have to overcome tariff barriers. Let us know what you think on our forums.