Legumes instead of fallow: What do Polish farmers say?

In its announcement of February 13, the EC announced that farmers who will grow nitrogen-fixing plants (legumes) or catch crops on 4% of their arable land - of course without using plant protection products - will be recognized this year (temporarily) as meeting the standard GAEC 8 (requiring, among others, the allocation of part of arable land to non-productive areas or facilities). It must be met in order to receive support, i.e. direct payments (including eco-schemes) under the Common Agricultural Policy. The European Commission Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, is satisfied with the above turn of events, as he wrote on Twitter on February 13, referring to the agricultural demands made during this year's protests: - I welcome the decision to grant a partial exemption from GAEC 8 and I believe that it will also be welcomed by many farmers throughout the European Union. It reflects the extraordinary circumstances facing our farming community and shows that the ...