‘Army’ of inspectors alarms farmers

NEWS of a “small army” of eight inspectors visiting a 48 acre farm to ensure that the part-time farmer is complying with Single Payment scheme requirements has alarmed farmers in Co Limerick.

Well-known farming activist David Thompson, a former President of the Agricultural Science Association, relayed at a meeting of Limerick IFA how the part-time farmer first had to cope with four inspectors who all arrived on the same day at his farm to inspect for Single Payment compliance.

“My understanding is that he was informed that he would have four more inspectors on the farm later in the year. That is eight inspectors to carry out compliance inspection on a 48 acre farm of a part time farmer. That is a small army of inspectors coming on to a farm, how could any farmer cope with that?”