IFA speaks out over on-farm inspections

DEMANDS that farmers be fully informed on all aspects of on-farm inspections by the Department of Agriculture and Food for cross-compliance and nitrates were reiterated by the Irish Farmers Association yesterday.

IFA president Padraig Walshe re-stated the IFA’s position as farmers began a campaign of refusing access to department officials for unannounced inspections.

He called on the department to provide farmers with all of the documentation, including checklists and the calculation of penalties, in advance of any inspection.

Mr Walshe said he accepted that Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan understood the difficulties involved for farmers being inspected without adequate notice and information and he hoped a solution could be found without delay.

Mr Walshe said it is only reasonable that farmers be provided with the actual checklist used by the department inspectors so that they can understand what they are being inspected for and how penalties are calculated.

He said the Charter of Rights for Farmers must deliver specific targets set down, including provision of comprehensive, user-friendly information.

Mr Walshe said it was utterly unrealistic to expect farmers to cope with the plethora of regulations now being imposed and to familiarise themselves with the details at one or two meetings per county.

The Department of Agriculture and Food said that 92% of farmers selected for the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (DAS) inspection in 2006 are pre-notified.

As EU regulations stand, it said the department is obliged to carry out a small proportion of the inspections without prior notification. This is what is being done this year.