Officials in DAERA are in the process of gathering more information as part of an application for NI arable farmers to be exempt from the three-crop rule in 2018.

DAERA made the application to the European Commission through Defra in London in mid-April. “The Commission is still actively considering the request and has asked the Department to provide further information in support of its application,” a DAERA spokesperson said on Monday.

“The Department is currently in the process of meeting this request,” the spokesperson added.

Submissions

Scotland and the Republic of Ireland also made submissions for a derogation to the three-crop rule, with the Irish application accepted by the Commission on 11 April.

“Scotland and Northern Ireland have not submitted the details to the same level as Ireland,” European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan told the Irish Farmers Journal last week.

UK wide application

Reports on Tuesday suggest that Defra Minister George Eustice has written to the European Commission requesting a derogation for the three-crop rule for all four regions of the UK.

However, the late spring means options are running out for spring planting and many arable farmers haven’t time to wait for political sign off for a derogation to the three-crop rule.

However, a derogation from Brussels will still be welcomed by growers to remove the threat of penalties on CAP payments.

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