CAP proposals threaten ancient grasslands

ADVICE to farmers in Britain to minimise grassland between now and 2014 has set the CAP reform proposals on a collision course with environmentalists.

They are worried that some of the estimated 100,000 hectares in Britain which is rich in biodiversity after more than 6,000 years of traditional farming practices will be ploughed up.

Some environmentally important grasslands were ploughed up last summer soon after the reform proposals were leaked.