Flax and hemp fear
12 November 1999
Flax and hemp fear
DEEP cuts in area aid for flax and hemp growers are on the cards.
Brussels policy makers have become increasingly alarmed at the burgeoning cost of the sector, the lack of demand for the growing supply and the opportunities for fraud. Since 1995 the subsidy bill has soared from k74m (£47m) to k158m (£101m) throughout the EU.
As such, the commission plans to bring flax and hemp area aid back into line with linseed, which next year will pay k519/ha (£347/ha, ignoring agrimonetary compensation). This compares with the k663/ha (£500/ha) paid this year for hemp and k615/ha (£464/ha) for long fibre flax. *
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