The National Farmers' Union has welcomed what it calls a 'historic' deal to reform the Common Agricultural Policy. The EU Agricultural Council has agreed to break the link between support payments and production, known as decoupling, which will enable farmers to focus on the needs of the market.

NFU president Ben Gill raised concerns about some details of the reform. Gill said: 'This is a historic turning point in the Common Agricultural Policy. But as ever the devil is in the detail.

'Because so many options have been given to member states we could end up with a patchwork of different policies operating across Europe which could lead to market distortions.

'The compromises give other countries options to maintain the link, at last in part, with production. We will ask the government for full decoupling in England. But if other member states don't do this, it could potentially distort the market.

'We will be very vigilant and we will ask the European commission and our government to be vigilant in policing this. If not, the reformers will be the losers. UK farming must be allowed to be competitive.' NFU Scotland president John Kinnaird gave his reaction and called for an in-depth consultation exercise on how the reforms can be best tailored for Scotland. Kinnaird said: 'The single farm payment is still the defining feature of the package and I believe the menu of options is welcome and workable for our members. The flexibility NFUS has fought for since these proposals first came to light nearly a year ago is now a reality. It will allow our members to respond to market demands, but also allow funds to be targeted at sectors or areas that face structural problems or need specific forms of support.

'Scotland has the ability to tailor a support package for its own specific needs and that is absolutely vital. The flexibility within this package means that the real work starts now. It is essential that our members become involved in the debate which will now ensue on exactly what we want from this package and how support should be tailored for Scotland.'