Proposed reforms for the fruit and vegetable sector, to which the EU Commission has now agreed, will mainly affect the UK’s SPS and POs.
To bring the fruit and vegetable sector in line with the rest of the improved Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), EU agricultural ministers have agreed to a number of wide-ranging reforms.
The primary objective of these changes is to improve the sector’s competitiveness and market orientation for sustainable production. The reforms should herald positive change for most UK growers affected by the rules, specifically in terms of the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and Producer Organisations (POs).
The fruit and vegetable sector is already covered by the national Single Payment, but because this hasn’t been a compulsory inclusion for all Member States, the land has had to be matched against special soft fruit, vegetables and potatoes (fvp) authorised entitlements.
