GPS systems to help farmers obey EU laws

SATELLITE-based technology on modern machinery can help farmers to meet their cross-compliance environmental obligations under the European Union's new single payment system.

This became clear at the opening of the three-day Farm Machinery Show at the Punchestown Event Centre in Co Kildare yesterday where machines of mass cultivation with space age features were among the €20 million worth of exhibits on view.

Global positioning systems (GPS), a satellite navigation technology that has become a popular feature on modern machinery, can electronically help farmers and agricultural contractors to plan much of their field work with precision accuracy.