Farmers who have received multiple grants

WQ.122/2018

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE

MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, SPORT AND CULTURE BY DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 10th JULY 2018

Question

Will the Minister provide details of all farmers who have received multiple grants from the States of Jersey over the last 20 years, setting out when they were granted, what they were for and what amounts were provided?

Answer

To the extent that the relevant information is publicly disclosable, details of farmers who have received grants in the years 2015 – 2017, together with the amounts and the purposes of the grant awards, are a matter of public record. The information can be found in the States of Jersey Financial Report and Accounts for those years, which are free to access online via the following link –

 https://www.gov.je/government/planningperformance/budgetaccounts/pages/statesofjerseyaccounts.aspx

Relevant grant payments are recorded from page 269 onwards in the 2017 accounts. For 2016, grant payment data can be found from page 140 onwards in the principal accounts document and page 293 of the Annex. For 2015, payment data can be found from page 154 onwards in the principal accounts document and page 313 of the Annex.

In respect of earlier years, the Deputy is invited to refer to the answer to his similar written question concerning grants to the agriculture, aquaculture and fishing sectors as tabled on 12th May 2015, the content

of which remains directly relevant.

The policy basis on which direct and indirect support for rural sectors is currently provided is set out in the Rural Economy Strategy 2017 – 2021 (R.19/2017 refers), which was presented to the States by the Minister for Environment. Support measures include –

• the Rural Support Scheme (£700,000 budgeted)
• the Quality Milk Payment, which continues at 2015 levels (£400,000 budgeted) until 2019

Additional indirect support is provided to farmers via a grant to Jersey Product Promotion Limited. This umbrella  organisation  encompasses  the  Genuine  Jersey  Products  Association  and  the  Jersey  Export Group/Farm Jersey. It currently receives grant support from government in the sum of £150,000 to develop on and off-island marketing initiatives.

Further indirect financial support (£180,000) is provided by way of a contract with the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RJA&HS), which has been delivering an Artificial Insemination Service and a Milk Recording service to the dairy industry under successive Service Level Agreements (2003–2007, 2008–2013, 2014–2015 and 2016). In practice, the RJA&HS passes operational responsibility for these services to Jersey Island Genetics Ltd (JIG) a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Society.

The Rural Initiative Scheme (£50 – 100K p/a) provides funding for businesses to invest in training, precision application equipment (fertiliser placement), alternative cropping and continue supporting productivity, diversification, energy efficiency and rural innovation.

Government continues to fund (£40-90k) the cattle testing and surveillance programme 2017-2021 on the basis that the livestock sector must comply with international standards. The programme helps protect and enhances the Island's reputation for quality across all areas of the economy.

There have, from time to time, been questions or discussions in the States Assembly regarding the extent to which agriculturalists received subsidies to support greenhouse-based production of crops. For the avoidance of doubt, the 2005 Rural Economic Strategy replaced individual crop subsidies with a Single Area Payment per vergée. At that time, the protected crops sector (glasshouses and polythene tunnels) faced ongoing difficulties caused by rising fuel costs, high freight charges and cheaper southern European competition. Following consultation with the industry sector, a single one-off payment in 2006 was agreed based the average cropped areas planted in 2004 and 2005. This was to enable growers to –

1. adapt to the changing market,
2. diversify, or
3. leave the industry.

It was also agreed that after this exit payment' any further support would be under the Single Area Payment. 11 Growers received payments calculated at £17.17 per m2 (£1,218,000.00 in total). Many

remained in the sector and some continued to claim SAP in the following years. During consultations for the Rural Economy Strategy 2017 – 2021, there were new calls for additional support for the glasshouse industry. The industry was reminded of the terms agreed in 2006.