Defra's vision for farming is 'vision for destruction'.

THE UK government's vision for British agriculture has been dubbed a "vision for destruction of Welsh farming".

Rural ministry Defra's proposals for agricultural reform would slash livestock numbers and damage farming incomes, warned the Farmers Union of Wales.

It said Defra's position, set out in the document "Vision for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)", would undermine Europe's food security and be "apocalyptic" for rural Wales.

Its proposals to end subsidies post 2013 would virtually spell the end of beef farming in Wales and lead to huge falls in fat lamb production.

The document was published in late 2005 but has only just been analysed in a joint report by three organisations: Queen's University, Belfast; the Northern Ireland Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute; and the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute of Missouri University.

If Defra's proposals are adopted, the report predicts a 191% increase in UK beef imports, prompting a 29% fall in Welsh suckler cow numbers and causing Welsh beef production to drop by 11%. Beef prices would plunge 25%, it estimates.

Welsh ewe numbers would also fall, by 19%, with a 16% decline in finished lambs.

FUW president Gareth Vaughan said: "The proposals, if allowed to go ahead, will rip the heart and soul out of Wales's rural communities."

Gareth Vaughan The outlook for Scotland is even worse. By 2018 researchers estimate the Scottish beef herd would be 33% smaller and sheep numbers would fall 28%.

The Defra document argues for the removal of subsidies and import tariffs which, it says, are "out of step" with globalisation. It points out the CAP costs 100bn euros-a-year, half from taxpayers and half from consumers.

However at last week's Labour Party conference, the government softened its stance amid rising concerns over food security.

Defra secretary Hiliary Benn said increases in population made it vital that farmers were helped to produce more food.