Oh Enid, £6 billion, well I don't know of anyone in our area who has "creamed" the subsidy scale to that rate!!
The farmers who get most of the subsidy money are those who are arable, not the beef/sheep ones like me and most of the rest of them. Subsidy is in place so that you can feed your animals throughout the winter as that is when most of the money arrives and we get some in the spring LFASS so that feriliser etc can be paid for.
This is the main problem the farming community has, people like yourself who think they know what subsidy is all about, and really don't have a clue, I am not trying to be offensive, but, all of the rural businesses within communities are having a really shitty time at the moment, and I for one don't see why those of us who have cattle and sheep should justify ourselves as to why we receive subsidy in the first place.
What makes it even worse that within the next 4 years the quota systems for cattle and sheep will be removed and all subsidy will be based on area payments, in conjunction with your total Livestock units on you farm combining total Suckler Cow Claims and Sheep Annual Premium Schemes over the past 2 years. We will be £5000 WORSE off in one farm, and £2000 worse off in the other, it may seem like a lot of money but, in reality it is really pennies when it comes to paying the feed merchant and the vet etc.
I am totally behind Prince Charles and Princess Anne has added her comments as well.