A GALWAY councillor and small suckler farmer has criticised the Dept. of Agriculture for the severity of recent inspections under the SCEP scheme [Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme].

Headford’s Andrew Reddington described the requirement for farmers to provide weighing scales during on-farm inspections as ‘excessive and an unnecessary burden’.

He said that the expectation from Dept. of Agriculture inspectors was for farmers to have ‘sourced and set up’ weighing scales for inspection.

If this requirement wasn’t met, farmers faced a 100% penalty for non-compliance, which Cllr. Reddington described as ‘completely over the top’.

“While the Department claims that adequate notice and free rental options are available, this fails to consider the practical challenges farmers face.

“Many are already under significant pressure managing their day-to-day workloads, and this added layer of bureaucracy only increases their stress,” said Cllr. Reddington.

He also said that the current inspection regime represented an animal welfare issue and must be abolished as a matter of urgency.

“I cannot believe that the Department is allowing these inspections to continue while many suckler farmers prepare for the calving season to start.

“I spoke to a farmer who had a cow heavy in calf. She was 900kg, and they had difficulty getting her into the crush and onto the scales.

“He told me it was wrong what was happening under this scheme. Once a year is enough to weigh cows and calves. We have to stand up to the Department,” said Cllr. Reddington.

He added that the new Minister for Agriculture needed to put an immediate end to these inspections which were extremely stressful for farmers.

Last year, a Teagasc/Dublin City University study on farmer stress found that ‘governance standards’ from Government departments were regarded as a major cause of stress among farmers. [See opposite page].

Provided all of the conditions of the scheme are met,  payment of €225 for the first 15 hectares and €180 for the remaining hectares up to the maximum payable area will be made.

The five main actions of the scheme are: Eligible Bull/Eligible AI; Female Replacement Strategy; Genotyping; Weighing and Submission of Weights to ICBF; plus, Calving Details and Surveys.

Pictured: Cllr. Andrew Reddington: Farmers being put under stress by severity of SCEP inspections.