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Thirteen farmers were penalised for having ragwort on their farms in 2018, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.
In total, 24 “notices to destroy” were issued by the Department of Agriculture last year for the presence of ragwort. Farmers are obliged to keep their lands free from noxious weeds under cross-compliance measures and can see a cut to their payment for not complying.
Six farmers last year were hit with a 1% penalty for the presence of ragwort, four were hit with a 3% penalty and one farmer received a 5% penalty. A Department spokesperson said a farmer may have received a higher penalty on the day of inspection if there were other non-compliant issues on farm.
Under the Noxious Weeds Act, 1936, it is an offence for the owner or occupier of lands not to prevent the growth and spread of noxious weeds.
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