Dear Editor,

Jesse Norman wrote last week about the effect of leaving the EU on our farming community. Our farmers will in fact benefit from Brexit for a number of reasons.

Britain currently contributes £6 billion to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy yet our farmers receive only £3 billion back from the EU in the form of farm subsidies. We are therefore subsidising farming elsewhere in the EU.

In the event of Brexit EU farm payments would not stop from the EU for at least two years which is plenty of time for our government to organise a policy of direct farm payments exactly as we had before we ever joined the EU. With the £6 billion we are not then paying to the EU we could double the farm subsidy the farmers currently receive.

Farmers are currently paid by the EU not to produce some land. This is ridiculous when Britain imports so much food. After Brexit framers will be paid to do what they are there to do - produce food!

Despite the scaremongering of the remain camp, trade will of course continue and our farmers will be able to sell both into the EU and re-engage with the World market.

UK Farming has a bright future outside the EU.

David Howle,

Branch Chairman,

Hereford & South Hereford UKIP