Common-sense approach by Minister on CMMS records

SINCE her appointment, Agriculture Minister, Mary Coughlan, has consistently shown a common-sense approach to resolving farming issues, and an understanding that the farmer is not to blame for everything that goes wrong, and that they should not be unfairly burdened with penalties.

Another example of her fair approach is her acceptance that farmers who make a genuine effort to ensure that Cattle Movement Monitoring System (CMMS) records for their herds are accurate are not unfairly penalised.

It was made clear in talks with farming organisation leaders last week that agreement is not a licence for farmers to disregard the role of the CMMS, or the necessity that records should be accurate and up to date.

Farmers made the case in these talks that their “best and most persistent efforts” were not enough to resolve cattle identification problems and, in particular, CMMS problems, which gave rise to 95% of the penalties imposed on farmers in 2005 under non-compliance with the Single Payment Scheme.

Independent assessors have also strongly criticised the basis used for penalising farmers in EU schemes, and highlighted the severity of the punishment relative to the faults uncovered.

This is why farming leaders protest that a mistake by a farmer is a crime punishable by a severe fine — but the same mistake by a state employee is a human error. Both should be treated similarly, say farmers.

The Single Farm Payment is now a substantial proportion of total farm income. Irish farmers get €2.28 billion in EU direct payments; the market place adds only €485 million to their income.

Therefore a Single Farm Payment penalty can have a huge impact on a farmer’s income, and Minister Coughlan’s understanding approach is welcomed by farmers.