1,482 farmers were penalised in 2017. / Philip Doyle
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One in five farmers inspected under land eligibility rules faced a penalty or reduction to their land parcel last year.
Figures from the Department of Agriculture seen by the Irish Farmers Journal show a 5% increase in overall land eligibility inspections compared with 2016, but a 60% surge in the number of farmers falling foul of inspections, with 1,482 farmers penalised in 2017.
The number of cross-compliance inspections increased marginally, but in contrast the number of farmers penalised with financial sanctions dropped by 25% to 1,384 in 2017 – down from 1,838 in 2016.
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Deputy president of the IFA Richard Kennedy criticised the “onerous” inspection regime and called for an overhaul of the system in the next Common Agricultural Policy.
He said: “The increase in eligibility penalties is disappointing and the fact that the cross-compliance is down is no consolation to those farmers whose payments were reduced.”
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One in five farmers inspected under land eligibility rules faced a penalty or reduction to their land parcel last year.
Figures from the Department of Agriculture seen by the Irish Farmers Journal show a 5% increase in overall land eligibility inspections compared with 2016, but a 60% surge in the number of farmers falling foul of inspections, with 1,482 farmers penalised in 2017.
The number of cross-compliance inspections increased marginally, but in contrast the number of farmers penalised with financial sanctions dropped by 25% to 1,384 in 2017 – down from 1,838 in 2016.
Deputy president of the IFA Richard Kennedy criticised the “onerous” inspection regime and called for an overhaul of the system in the next Common Agricultural Policy.
He said: “The increase in eligibility penalties is disappointing and the fact that the cross-compliance is down is no consolation to those farmers whose payments were reduced.”
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