Cross-compliance pitfalls for farmers

SEVERAL farmers have been penalised for removing hedges in 2009, according to David Colbourne of Teagasc.

He told suppliers to Lakeland Dairies hedges are deemed to be wildlife features, and cannot be removed, whether a farmer is in REPS or not.

In a cross-compliance update, he said many heavily stocked farmers who had applied for nitrate derogations in 2007 were contacted by the Department of Agriculture at the end of November.