Archive Article: 2002/05/17
Lets make sure OSR is well supported
Oilseed production has taken a battering in recent years as cuts in area aid have undermined profitability. From July, however, those cuts come to an end, as area aid for oilseeds is paid at the same rate as for cereals.
The EU commission promised that when that happens, the Blair House restrictions on plantings will end. But the US plans to challenge that view, insisting the aid is still crop-specific and restrictions should continue to apply.
Its argument must not be allowed to prevail. Apart from the hypocrisy – the US recently boosted its own farm supports – the EU must be allowed to expand production to fill the demand for GM-free vegetable proteins. Expansion is also needed to plug the gap in the feed market after the meat-and-bonemeal ban.