Farming
Over 350 Galway farmers penalised in the past year
MORE than 350 farmers from County Galway have been handed out penalties as a result of farm inspections carried out over the past year – the figures have just been released by the Department of Agriculture.
And the figures have coincided with a call for the complete overhaul of the inspection system which has revealed a variation of up to 370% in penalty rates.
It has been learned that 355 farmers were penalised in County Galway, 148 in Mayo while 115 farmers in Roscommon were punished.
Figures revealed in data obtained from the Dept. of Agriculture reveal that there is a 43% variation throughout the country in the penalty rate for nitrate inspections, a 41% variation on Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) inspections and a 24% variation rate on cattle inspections.
“It is statistics like these which reinforce the need for a radical reform of the whole system,” Deputy Denis Naughten has said.
“We currently have a totally unacceptable situation where the county in which you farm has as much to do with the level of penalties you may face as the actual implementation of the Department of Agriculture rules.
“For example, at present there is close to a 370% better chance of having a clear nitrate inspection in County Donegal than if you farm in County Tipperary where six out of every 10 farmers inspected received a penalty,” he pointed out.
He described these variations as being nothing short of ludicrous and making a farce of the farm inspection system. “These discrepancies show the lack of consistency in inspection standards in different counties and between different inspectors,” he added.
“If this was the Leaving Certificate would we accept a situation where the pass rate in maths or English varied by 370% based on what county you lived in? As such it should not be acceptable within the agricultural inspection system either,” Deputy Naughten said.
Over the past four years there has been a 500% increase in penalties as a result of on-farm inspections with farmers losing out on €4.7 million in 2012.
The complexity of on-farm inspections has increased significantly over the last four years with farmers facing an average fine ranging from €1,160 to €3,500 depending on the detail of the inspection imposed on them.
“While Teagasc support helps to improve the profitability of farms, the reality is that a cross compliance inspection could have a far bigger impact on the profitability of a farm.
“Many more checks have been added to the cross compliance check list and it can now take up to three days to do a comprehensive on-farm inspection.
“A large number of these checks have no impact on food safety yet they can have a big impact on the potential penalty facing the farmer,” Deputy Naughten added.
ANOTHER look at the strategy for the Athlone to Galway city Greenway has been called for by an IFA representative to ensure that the route serves local families and communities – as well as tourists.
Galway IFA Rural Development Representative, Peter Gohery, said that a common-sense approach in relation to the Greenway would steer it towards benefitting local communities as well as tourists.
“There is a lot more consultation with farmers and landowners needed on this project and there are many sections of roadway along this route which would lend themselves to the provision of a walkway cum cycleway alongside the road.
“Not only would this serve the tourism element of the project but it would also ensure that car usage between local villages and towns would also be reduced. This is a win-win situation for everyone,” said Peter Gohery.
He added that a perfect example of such an arrangement was in an approximately five kilometre stretch of roadway between Abbeyknockmoy village and Brooklodge in North Galway. alongside the very busy N63 Galway-Roscommon stretch of road.
“This has turned out to be an outstanding success not only for local people but for the many more visitors who travel to walk or cycle along this route.
“There’s a kerb and a green margin between the roadway and the walkway/cycle way which is busy seven days a week with people along this route.
“Families and children really make wonderful use of this facility. I want Galway County Council to take a look at this and see how successful it is. It really is a template that should be followed in terms of the Greenway development,” said Peter Gohery.
He also said that there needed to be far more ‘real consultation’ with landowners and farmers on the Greenway.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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THE major national suppliers of fertilisers have been asked to come clean and sell their product at current market values – and not at inflated prices based on last year’s costings.
Galway IFA Chairman, Stephen Canavan, told the Farming Tribune that was going on as regards fertiliser prices and supply in the Republic of Ireland ‘was intolerable’ and couldn’t be allowed to continue.
He said that last year, the big national suppliers had ‘made a killing’ on fertiliser prices having cheap stock in hand and then selling it at grossly inflated prices due to the energy crisis caused by the Russian war in Ukraine.
“Fertiliser prices have fallen all over the world – and by quite large margins. All you have to do is to look at the current prices of fertiliser in Northern Ireland – it’s a disgrace what’s happening down here,” said Stephen Canavan.
He added that farmers were coming together to transport lorry loads of fertiliser from Northern Ireland with up to a €200 difference in the price of fertiliser on a north-south basis.
“There is no doubt about it, but that farmers are being held to ransom by the major supplier down here. They just think that they can charge what they like for fertiliser, but that day is gone,” said Stephen Canavan.
He added that farmers were now coming together to organise the importation of lorry loads of fertiliser from Northern Ireland, which even allowing for transport costs, still amounted to major savings.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
PROPOSALS put forward by the Dept. of Agriculture to push back payment dates for a range of agricultural support schemes have been greeted ‘with dismay’ by the IFA and a Galway TD.
East Galway Independent TD, Sean Canney, said it was ‘unbelievable’ at a time of such increased costs for farmers that the Dept. were proposing to ‘push back’ payment dates.
The proposals came to light at last week’s meeting of the Farmers’ Charter when farm representatives were told by the Dept. that the new CAP would require a revision of the charter.
“From my understanding of what was outlined at the Farmers’ Charter, the payment dates for some of the schemes could be put back by up to a month,” said Deputy Canney.
He added that one of the proposals related to delaying the ANC (Areas of Natural Constraint) by four weeks to mid-October was ‘an insult to farmers’ who depended heavily on this money being paid in September.
“Another proposal is to delay the BISS (Basic Income Support for Sustainability) payment by one week which will also lead to unnecessary hardship for farmers.
“Every week’s delay is adding pressure on the farming sector and the Department need to get their act together and stop playing games with farmers’ money. I ask the Minister to intercede and stop this nonsense,” said Deputy Canney.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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