Agricultural subsidies slammed

03 June 1998

Agricultural subsidies slammed

TRILLION of dollars of subsidies have enabled industries to wreak destruction on a vast scale, reports The Guardian.

The European Unions Common Agricultural Policy is criticised in the report, for underpinning farmers incomes.

It points out that the average taxpayer in Britain pays at least £350 a year in agricultural subsidies and a further £200 in increased food prices plus environmental costs such as pollution of water supplies through pesticide and fertiliser wash-off.

It says subsidies in US agriculture are just as whimsical. It points out that one Government agency subsidies irrigation for crops that another agency pays farmers not to grow at all.

• The Guardian 03/06/98 page 4-5 (Society supplement)