Tynwald is to discuss possible changes to the way the Isle of Man Government supports agriculture.
 
The changes could include extending financial support to smaller-sized farms, amending the way support is calculated, imposing an upper limit on payments, better supporting farm diversification and making the meat plant more viable.
 
The possible amendments to the Countryside Care Scheme and other, related, policies have been drawn up by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA).
 
The suggestions come in response to nine recommendations made by the Environment and Infrastructure Policy Review Committee (EIPRC), which examined current policy as a result of a May 2013 Tynwald resolution and published a possible way forward in April.
 
Richard Ronan MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, will lay DEFA’s response before Tynwald this month and it will be debated when the Court reconvenes after the summer recess in October.
 
In anticipation of the recommendations, DEFA had already reformed the Industry Advisory Committee, which comprises representatives of the main processors, the Manx National Farmers’ Union and the Agricultural Marketing Society.
 
The Minister said this body would look in more detail at the EIPRC’s recommendations and has arranged to meet the EIPRC members to discuss their recommendations in more detail.
 
Subject to the outcome of the debate in the autumn, public consultation on any changes to support would take place, with amendments to the Countryside Care Scheme referred back to Tynwald for approval in 2015.

The EIPRC’s recommendations and DEFA’s response can be viewed in the downloadable documents on www.gov.im/eiprcresponses.