IFA urges full implementation of charter

THE IFA has called for the full implementation of the Charter of Farmers’ Rights including reduced inspection levels, advanced notice of inspections, one single farm visit and earlier payments for 2006.

Derek Deane, deputy president, speaking after a meeting with senior officials in the Department of Agriculture, said that, under the charter, the level of inspections should decrease.

Last year, 9,200 farmers were inspected. This number must drop to 6,000 in 2006 and to 1% of farmers in 2007 as per the Charter of Rights.

Mr Deane said the department must also minimise the number of inspection visits and move to a situation where all eligibility and cross- compliance checks will be carried out during a single farm visit, as agreed in the charter. He also said additional resources and expertise should be allocated to finalise 2005 single farm payments to the 2,000 applicants who still have not been paid.

Most of these cases are complex inheritance and transfer cases but they need to be sorted before the 2006 application.

Mr Deane said farmers need to be aware of what is required of them in respect of the new cross- compliance issues introduced in 2006. The requirements on farmers must be kept to a minimum, be practical and easy to understand. Attempting to apply complex cross-compliance requirements on farms is impractical and unnecessary.

Mr Deane said a number of critical issues are still outstanding regarding nitrates and cross- compliance checks cannot proceed until these are properly resolved.