Smith announces measure to assist REPS farmers affected by weather

A TEMPORARY measure to assist rural environment protection scheme (REPS) farmers affected by current weather conditions has been announced by Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith.

The measure applies to REPS 2 and REPS 3 farmers in who are required to have spread all the slurry produced during the winter housing period by August 31.

Mr Smith said he recognised weather conditions are making it difficult for some farmers to get their slurry spread by the end of this month.

“Indeed the nitrates regulations would rule out spreading in many areas at the moment. For that reason, I have agreed to extend the deadline to October 15, which is the deadline in the nitrates regulations themselves and also applies to farmers in REPS 4,” he said.

While recognising the problems caused by the bad weather, the minister stressed that all REPS farmers — and all other farmers — remain subject at all times to the overriding obligation to avoid causing pollution.

“Indeed all good farmers will be even more conscious at the moment of the increased risk of inadvertently causing water pollution and they will be taking special care to avoid it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Máiréad McGuinness, MEP for Ireland East, said she had alerted EU Agricultural Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel to the severe difficulties facing farmers in the current weather conditions.

“If the current weather conditions persist we will be looking at a very difficult and damaging setback to the sector,” she said, urging the European commission to consider measures such as an advance on the single farm payment and special consideration to be given to hardship cases.