There are more farms in the hands of ordinary people. The subsidy actually helps keep prices down for the housewife. Farmers could not afford to sell their stock for so little without the subsidy, and even with it, many now struggle. Once upon a time, if you could afford the set up cost of dairy farming, you would get a decent return. Besides, the French got subsidy first. Most of their farms were, unlike uk, inefficient and most French farmers also had a job. If you are going to have a common market, you need to level the playing field. I expect much of the subsidy goes to the tenant farmers on the landed gentry estates, rather than into the landowners pocket.