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Tillage Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 April 2018

Tuesday, 24 April 2018

Questions (438)

Mary Butler

Question:

438. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person can avail of the benefit or process granted by the European Commission recently allowing a derogation on the three crop rule under greening obligations in view of the weather conditions in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17584/18]

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Written answers

The tillage sector is an extremely important part of Irish agriculture. As with livestock farmers in Ireland the winter that has just passed and the current late and wet spring have put huge pressure on tillage farmers. At this late stage the number of crop options has diminished significantly as we have passed the optimal sowing date for crops such as spring wheat, beans and oats.

The introduction of Greening and specifically Crop Diversification places obligations on tillage farmers with between 10 and 30 ha to grow two crops, with the main crop not exceeding 75%.  For farmers with more than 30 ha three crops must be sown.  Again the main crop cannot exceed 75% and the two main crops cannot exceed 95%.

My Department has put forward a strong case to the EU 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. 

Whilst formal approval from the EU Commission for the Irish derogation is now awaited, I believe that where alternative crop options are not available to allow farmers to be compliant with Crop Diversification rules, growers can make crop choices that best suit their current situation, even if this leaves them non-compliant with the Crop Diversification rules.

My Department is in the process of adding some new functionality to the online application system to allow this derogation to be availed of.  For farmers and advisors who have already applied or who do so before the introduction of the new functionality, an amendment will have to be made to declare that the non-compliance in 2018 is due to the adverse weather conditions this spring.

This exemption will assist tillage farmers and allow them to make the best of a difficult spring period.

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