Number of farmers getting over £1m from EU soars

THE number of farm businesses receiving more than £1m in subsidy payments from the European Union has nearly doubled in the past 12 months.

Statistics published this week by the Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show 29 farmers or land owners in the UK received seven-figure sums under a range of schemes.

Among them are Leeds-based Arla Foods which received more than 4.25m during 2009. Another large recipient in the region was confectionery company Nestl which received just under 981,200.

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Various landowners also received large sums – including the Harewood Farming Company, which runs agricultural land around the Harewood Estate near Leeds, which received 128,329.

Simon Howard, owner of the Castle Howard estate, qualified for 19,389 while Lord Halifax's estate received 3,383 in support. The Tempest Estate in the Yorkshire Dales was paid 1,980.

Nationally, the Queen received more than 700,000 for her Sandringham Estates, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds netted nearly 1m for the land it manages.

In all, just under 200,000 people or businesses in the UK received a share of 3.3bn, compared with 2.6bn in 2008. Across Europe more than 1,000 people received more than 1m.

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The payments were under Common Agricultural Policy. Most came under the heading of Single Farm Payments, subsidy cheques paid to all farmers within the European Union as a means of guaranteeing incomes for those who produce food.