The Department of Agriculture’s new national fertiliser database is leading to “ever-increasing levels of bureaucracy” for farmers, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has warned.

INHFA vice-president John Joe Fitzgerald insisted that “most farmers are sick and tired of increasing levels of red tape that demands more and more time from them while delivering nothing in terms of a financial return”.

“For years we have seen supports paid through CAP programmes become more and more complicated amid a tsunami of never-ending regulations that aims to punish farmers who are trying their best.

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“Beyond CAP, there are additional EU and national regulations around habitat and environmental protection that have major financial implications for farmers while delivering little in terms of environmental benefit,” he said.

Regulations

Fitzgerald called for the rules and regulations within agriculture to be made “proportionate” and for them to “not put farmers at a disadvantage”.

The INHFA has hit out at Government for loading a “tsunami” of red tape on farmers. \ Philip Doyle

“Unfortunately, when we assess the demands made through EU and national regulation and compare it to what farmers in other parts of the world comply with, then there is a major disadvantage.

“In our beef and sheep sectors, there is increasing access being provided to EU markets for farm products from non-EU countries - product that doesn’t have to comply with the onerous regulation that Irish farmers do,” he explained.

Electronic tags

Highlighting another of example of this “bureaucracy”, the INHFA vice-president described how New Zealand and Australian lamb is accessing EU markets without the use of electronic tagging.

He said electronic tagging was introduced in Ireland in 2019 and “sold on the basis that it would help market access”. However, he said there currently seems to be no market benefit.

Farmers have not seen the market benefit of electronic sheep tagging, claimed the INHFA. \ Damien Eagers

In relation to suckler and beef farmers, Fitzgerald detailed how there is a growing push to get more farmers Bord Bia certified on the basis that it will help in the delivery of better markets.

However, with beef prices in freefall, many farmers are, he stated, “questioning the merits and benefits of such a scheme and the onerous requirements associated with becoming and maintaining Bord Bia membership”.

“For many more, there is also a growing level of anger around the Bord Bia requirement relating to the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme,” he said.