TWO years after it was abandoned, the benefits to wildlife of the EU’s controversial land set-aside scheme has finally been recognised – and three different English countryside organisations are asking that some sort of substitute scheme is put in place.

Millions of acres of farmland across the EU were taken out of production some 20 years ago to save the political embarrassment of subsidy generated “mountains” of stored butter and beef and so-called “wine lakes.” Farmers were literally paid not to grow things, much to the disgust of the non-farming public.

But with world food-shortages growing in recent years, set-aside was abandoned in 2007 – and it has just been realised how valuable it had been to wildlife as birds, insects and mammals thrived in the uncultivated fields.

This week, both the Tenant Farmers’ Association and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) called for the Government to institute a new system of subsidies to allow farmers to leave areas on their land unused.

The environment department Defra is now set to consider the results of consultations before making any decision.