Welsh agriculture penalised for getting things right?

Welsh and Scottish farmers are not to be compensated for loss of earnings from movement restrictions due to the Pirbright foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. £12.5 million has been allocated to English farmers.

It seems that the Treasury is still punishing DEFRA for its £500 million failed computer project to process EU farm payments to English farmers. (Wales and Scotland adopted less sophisticated systems, and paid out more or less to time.)

The immediate result was to cut other DEFRA budgets, such as that for inland waterways. Now it seems that justice for Welsh and Scottish farmers is to go the same way.

As another blogger has written, now is the time for the Welsh voice at the cabinet table to bring his influence to bear.