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Less-Favoured Areas

Volume 178: debated on Monday 29 October 1990

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To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received concerning the problems faced by farmers in less-favoured areas.

I have recently received a number of representations concerning the problems faced by farmers in less-favoured areas.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement outlining the initiatives currently taken by his Department and his future plans to assist farmers in less-favoured areas.

Farmers in less-favoured areas (LFAs) benefit from a range of support measures which are available to producers generally, including particularly the suckler cow premium and sheep annual premium. In addition, Government expenditure on hill livestock compensatory allowances, which are paid only in less-favoured areas, will amount to about £127 million this year; we have recently announced that the suckler cow premium for less-favoured area producers will be increased to the maximum amount payable under the EC regulations; and less-favoured area sheep producers will benefit next year from a special addition to the sheep annual premium of 4 ecus per eligible ewe. We shall continue to keep the position of less-favoured area farmers under review.