The Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has urged the Minister for Agriculture to extend the closing date for derogation farmers who must submit records for the exportation of organic manures for 2021.

Chair of ICMSA’s farm and rural affairs committee Denis Drennan said that up to this year the rules stipulated that all farmers had to submit slurry and farmyard manure export forms by 31 December each year and a paper-based system was used.

“Earlier this year, the Department announced that for this current year and going forward an online system was being introduced and that farmers operating under a nitrates derogation were required to submit the relevant documentation by Sunday next, 31 October 2021"

"Non-derogation farmers have until 31 December 2021 to submit the forms.”

Drennan said: “From a compliance perspective, the correct submission of this documentation is hugely important and given that this is the first year of the new online system, the Minister must understand that there may well be glitches and the uncertainty that comes with a new procedure.”

Drennan also drew attention to the fact that agriculture advisors are very busy at present with TAMS applications as the current tranche comes to a close.

“In that context, we’d appreciate the Minister extending the deadline for derogation farmers to submit the relevant online documentation until the end of the year.

“There’s just massive pressures on farmers right now and a simple, completely doable eight-week extension to the end of the year would alleviate that pressure and ensure better familiarity with the new system,” said Drennan.