Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
tic is strictly forbidden. Producers who have
failed to clean their fields proactively in order
to prevent such contamination will also be
penalized.
the notorious Community Subsidy. These sub-
sidies were calculated region by region in order
to take into account local specificities. This is
why subsidies can vary from one department
(a French administrative area) to another.
NB The arrangement was modified in
2001 and again in 2003, with these changes
coming into force in 2004. Changes were
again made in 2007, at which point a new
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) came into
force (since its origins in 1962, the CAP has
been revised every 6 years). It is in order to
take account of these variations that we are
focusing on the period pre-2004 and that we
will present at the end of this chapter a method
of calculation that will allow anyone to make
their own revised estimates, taking into account
changes in the trading rates of each product
and any changes to the subsidies received.
Note 1: the new method that is being
introduced has been named 'ecoconditional-
ity'. It entails, in principle, the subordination of
a financial support for agricultural products in
favour of environmental protection measures.
Financial incentives become dependent on the
adoption of agricultural practices that are envi-
ronmentally friendly and respect the existing
laws and regulations on the protection of the
environment.
Note 2: at the time of the translation of
this topic (early 2011), a new Common
Agricultural Policy was being prepared for
implementation in 2013, the main elements of
which can be found in the previous chapter.
In view of this, and in order to take into
account the previous system, each farmer will
receive a subsidy that differs from that of his
neighbour. This will make comparisons diffi-
cult, especially if we fail to specify carefully the
method of calculation and the measurements
that remain in force.
STORAGE
.
Finally, certain companies reward
farmers for storing the straw in their sheds.
These are the main ways in which straw
production is rewarded.
Payments for hemp seed
Manufacturers pay by weight and for quality.
It is for this reason that quality assays have
been developed. Hemp seed is a fragile seed
that must be aired and sorted quickly, to elimi-
nate impurities, and dried, so that it keeps
well. Payments vary according to quality and
this is ascertained at the point of collection
(silos) by taking samples from delivery
batches.
This sample is subjected to sorting by a
double passage through a ventilated separator.
The humidity level is calculated on the 'good
grains' collected from the separator.
The amount of impurities is calculated by
weighing the 'waste' from the separator.
At the point where these samples are
taken, the grain is also subjected to an evalua-
measuring the concentration of oleic acid.
PAYMENT
.
The payment received for the deliv-
ered hemp seed is a function of the quality,
after sorting and ventilation, and the quantity
delivered.
EU SUBSIDIES
.
EU subsidies, so often decried and
poorly understood, were introduced at the time
of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
in 1992. This reform had two key objectives:
1. To lower the price of agricultural products
substantially in order to reduce the costs of
food materials and encourage exports. As an
example, the price of wheat dropped from
about €18 in 1990 to €10/t in 1995 (a rough
estimate that does not reflect the fluctuations in
price by region and according to the date of
purchase of the product).
2. To compensate farmers partially for the
resulting drop in their revenue by introducing
8.3.3 Breakdown of costs relating to
the industrial production of hemp
The costs requiring consideration are as follows:
cost of the seed per hectare
•
•
cost of fertilization
•
cost of crop protection measures
•
various equipment costs
