ICMSA outline aims for new Farmers Charter

The new Farmers Charter must prioritise the substantial reduction of the regulatory burden placed farmers while also relieving the very considerable anxiety associated with farm inspections, insist the ICMSA.

Deputy President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan said that commitments agreed must be delivered “in full” in the Charter by the Department of Agriculture.

He acknowledge progress had been made in previous charters made but said “problems remain”, and this new iteration must set out to solve them.

Mr Drennan said that much avoidable stress and anxiety remain focussed on the issue of inspections.

He insists ‘no notice’ inspections should be “confined to history” and an adequate period of notice should be given to farmers for all inspections.

Secondly, he says the number of inspections should be kept to “an absolute minimum” - the number required under EU legislation. “In addition, a clear protocol and clarification is required in relation to the use of satellite inspections and farmers need to be assured that ‘Big Brother’ is not watching them on a constant basis and that their right to privacy is protected”.

The ICMSA’s final demand is a “fair system of reasonable tolerances”.

“With the best will in the world, given the sheer scale and complexity of regulation surrounding farming today, farmers will make genuine mistakes and errors and a system of tolerances that will ensure no financial penalty for minor breaches of regulations is required,” Mr Drennan concluded.