Farming subsidies are just a pat on back for rich landowners
We often hear the topic of farm subsidies talked about after Brexit, and it is something that both the government and the opposition should be giving a lot of attention to.
Huge sums of money which could go to solving problems of shortages in the NHS and so many other essential services are paid over in this country every day to landowners in the form of subsidies – basically for simply owning land.
Many landowners do no farming whatsoever, they simply let their land to tenant farmers or agricultural contractors, often at extortionate rents, and sit back and enjoy the fruits of owning land and being paid a bonus supplement to do so. In simple terms they farm subsidies, nothing else, and often look down on less fortunate people struggling to live on benefits for whatever reason.
This scandal should be stopped immediately but it probably can’t be done due to our current membership of the EU. It must be one of the first things on the agenda when we officially leave.
The proliferation of solar farms have only come about because the same landowners have realised that there is more money for them and once again they don’t have to do a single thing. There is no concern by them for the production of food, which is allegedly why subsidies were paid in the first place. Obviously there are some farmers, such as the Welsh hill farmers, who could not continue without some form of financial help and in these cases careful attention must be given.
We may be considered one of the wealthiest countries on the planet but unless money is used wisely it doesn’t do anybody any good except for the extremely rich landowners who make every effort to ensure that they are the only ones to enjoy it.
Adrian Williams, Bratton
