Full cross-compliance inspections on farms were cut by half due to COVID-19 and social distancing concerns.

Government documents seen by the Irish Farmers Journal show that out of the 1,350 cross-compliance inspections due to take place in 2020, just 725 went ahead.

The document said that this was because “EU regs on inspection numbers changed this year on foot of COVID-19.”

Cross-compliance inspections involve checking fertiliser and slurry storage, along with other issues such as monitoring run-off from farmyards.

However, 7,500 eligibility inspections went ahead as scheduled across farms. The standard rate of inspections is 1,350 cross-compliance and 7,500 land eligibility inspections per year.

The Department of Agriculture exceeded this target in 2019, with 1,419 cross-compliance and 8,013 land eligibility inspections.