Government to slash 60m from hill farm aid

19 September 1997

Government to slash £60m from hill farm aid

THE National Farmers Union has conceded that the Government will slash £60 million from compensation paid to hill farmers in England and Wales this year.

NFU president Sir David Naish met farm minister Dr Jack Cunningham yesterday, and was told that the Government would be removing the additional £60m of Hill and Livestock Compensatory Allowance, made available by the Tory government last year because of the BSE crisis, because of budgetary constraints.

Sir David said the NFU was aware the £60m was a “one-off” payment, but said he was still “disappointed” by the Governments decision, coming before the handing-down of a review of hill-farming expected in late October.