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Where alternative crop options are not available to allow farmers to be compliant with the crop diversification rules (three-crop rule), growers can make crop choices that best suit their current situation, the Department of Agriculture is advising growers.
Growers can make crop choices that best suit their current situation, even if this leaves them non-compliant with the diversification rules, according to the Department.
We have political sign-off at European level on that
Ireland is awaiting formal approval from the European Commission for the Irish derogation on the three-crop rule.
On Monday, a Department spokesperson said: “The Department has put forward a strong case to the Commission seeking a derogation in relation to the crop diversification obligations for the 2018 scheme year.
“We are confident that the case being made meets the relevant standards, as set out in the regulations, for such an exemption.
“A number of member states have recently been granted such an exemption due to difficult weather in the autumn/winter of 2017,” the spokesperson said.
Last week, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed confirmed that the three-crop rule will not apply for 2018.
“We have political sign-off at European level on that. What’s being worked through now is the detail on that and that will take a little bit longer,” he said.
SHARING OPTIONS: