Suchergebnisse

Leaving the European Union will present significant challenges to the farming industry, and creative change is required for a new agricultural policy after the transition period. Many farms rely on public support and there is a need to review possible solutions that will replace and improve on the Common Agricultural Policy, for both the industry and wider society. In particular, could the resources currently spent on CAP basic and coupled payments be redirected to pay for the delivery of public environmental goods? This study aims to contribute to preparing the evidence for post-Brexit agricultural and environmental support in this context. The results are intended to provide a basis for discussion and an illustration of how various proposals for supporting agriculture and the environment after exiting the EU could be applied. The objectives of this study are to:  illustrate how the concept of public money for public goods could be realised across a range of farm types in Scotland;  using case studies, make a comparison of current agricultural support with alternative proposals for rewarding farmers for the delivery of environmental public goods;  assess the impact on farm income of the various proposals compared with current pillar 1 and pillar 2 payments on the selected farms; and  discuss the feasibility

Current regulations for organic pig and poultry production systems permit feed ingredients of non-organic origin at an inclusion rate of up to 5 per cent. This is primarily due to concerns that there is an insufficient supply of organic protein on the European Union market, in terms of quality and quantity, to meet the nutritional requirements of pigs and poultry raised on organic farms. However, 100 per cent organic diets for monogastric livestock will become compulsory in the EU from 1 January 2018, and there is therefore a need to develop sustainable feeding strategies based on organic feeds. This feed trial conducted in the UK explores the feasibility of using a silage-based feeding system for Gloucester Old Spot pigs, and compares the inclusion of soya, beans and peas as protein sources in terms of pig growth performance. No significant difference in the pen mean daily live weight gain was observed during the grower phase (pen mean age of 11-14 weeks) between the diet groups. However, during the finisher phase (pen mean age of 15-22 weeks), pigs on the soya and pea rations had significantly faster growth rates than pigs fed the bean ration. It is speculated that the slight shortfall in growth rate observed in the pigs fed the bean ration may be offset by the lower cost of production of beans in the UK. This feasibility trial demonstrates that a 100 per cent organic diet for pigs using alternative, locally-grown sources of protein as part of a forage-based ration can provide a viable alternative to a soya-based diet.