Council warns over use of spray on rushes

Rushes on land continue to pose problems for farmers — with Limerick City and County Council warning that spraying them can contaminate drinking water supplies.

In recent wet years, some farmers said they lost EU direct payments because they couldn’t travel on the land or graze it to control rushes.

Overgrowth of rushes is interpreted by Department of Agriculture inspectors as evidence that land is not maintained in good “agricultural and environmental condition” — which is necessary to qualify for the Single Payment Scheme and other area based schemes.