The inspection and penalty system needs to be fundamentally reformed from a regime that sets out to penalise farmers to one that helps them meet the requirements.
THE inspection and penalty system needs to be fundamentally reformed from a regime that sets out to penalise farmers to one that helps them meet the requirements.
And a yellow card system should be introduced where farmers can correct unintentional errors without penalty.
That is according to IFA Deputy President Richard Kennedy who described as ‘very worrying’ latest Department of Agriculture figures which reveal that increasing numbers of farmers are ending up with a post-inspection penalty.
Some 33% of farmers were penalised following cross compliance inspections in 2016, he said. ‘I am calling on Minister Michael Creed to extend the current review of the appeals system to cover inspections and penalties to secure worthwhile changes in the CAP simplification process currently under discussion at EU level.’
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