LEADING farm organisations have launched a campaign to keep the environmental benefits of set-aside.

They want farmers to voluntarily adopt techniques rather than having compulsory measures imposed by the Government, which could take 5pc of land out of production and cost them £40m.

The National Farmers’ Union and Country Land and Business Association this week published their Campaign for the Farmed Environment.

Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, CLA president, said: “Farmers are the people who know best how to get the balance right between productive farming and sound environmental management and this campaign puts them in the driving seat.”

The campaign proposals were not an easy option.

“It will require farmers to make informed choices about environmental management on their land with the threat of a more draconian cross-compliance measure being implemented should this option fail to meet its targets,” he said.

Peter Kendall, NFU president, said: “I believe that by encouraging participation in ELS and additional voluntary action by farmers, we can do much more than simply address the loss of set-aside.”

The North-East NFU has organised three meetings to explain the proposals to members.

Two are on Wednesday at The Honest Lawyer Hotel, near Durham, between 2pm and 4pm, and Alnwick Rugby Club at 7.30pm.

The third is at South Cave on May 5.