Farmers call on minister to extend waste management deadline date

MANY farmers will be unable to complete work under the Farm Waste Management Scheme by the December 31 deadline due to the wet weather conditions over the peak summer building period, Irish Farmers Association president Pádraig Walshe has warned.

Calling on Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith to extend the deadline date, Mr Walshe said building work has been slow over the past two months, which is normally the height of the building season on farms.

“Many jobs have been held up due to the bad weather and farmers are concerned about starting jobs because they fear they will not have completed the work by the end of December,” he said.