Single Farm Payment (Inspection Questions)

DARD outlines how it is improving farm inspection processes.

Concern has been expressed recently about the perceived growing volume and complexity of farm inspections and their impact on farmers’ ability to get on with their daily business.

In this article, DARD responds to these concerns, outlines the facts about farm inspections and how it is taking steps to make compliance easier.

Eligibility inspections are required to ensure that those applying for the Single Farm Payment comply with the conditions of the scheme and are therefore eligible to receive it.

In return for Single Farm Payment the European Commission recognised that applicants have responsibilities towards the protection of the environment, animal health and welfare, and public health. This is known as Cross-Compliance. Cross-Compliance inspections are carried out to ensure that applicants have met the Cross-Compliance requirements.

Under EU law governing the Single Farm Payment we were required to carry out the following inspections during 2006.

Eligibility inspections on 5% of 40,000 Single Farm Payment applicants.  

A Cross-Compliance inspection on 1% of Single Farm Payment applicants, this sample is drawn from those already selected for eligibility inspections.

In addition to the eligibility and Cross-Compliance inspection rate, EU law required us to consider the results of the annual Cattle Identification inspection programme.  This programme covers 5% of cattle owners.

Both the Environment and Heritage Service and the Health and Safety Executive also undertake Cross-Compliance inspections.

The Environment and Heritage Service have responsibility for a number of requirements including conservation of birds and habitats and protection against pollution.  In future, the Environment and Heritage Service will inspect for Nitrates.

The Health and Safety Executive have responsibility for the requirements involving the use and storage of pesticides.

The Department has sought only to meet the inspection requirements laid down by the European Commission. However, it has been considering ways in which it can do this involving fewer inspection visits.

A number of steps are already in place and a number of additional steps are planned to keep inspection visits to a minimum.

To keep on-farm inspections to a minimum the Department already selects applicants for Cross-Compliance inspection from applicants already selected for eligibility inspection.

For 2007 the Department is considering designating the Veterinary Service within DARD as a Competent Control Authority (CCA) within Northern Ireland.  This CCA would take responsibility for the inspections in respect of animal identification, animal welfare and notification of diseases. This would mean that the 1% Cross-Compliance sample in relation to cattle identification could be met from within the 5% annual survey rather than that aspect having to be also covered by the core 1% Cross-Compliance sample.  The outcome would be a reduction in inspection visits by 400.

DARD is also looking at ways to combine inspections elements and reduce the number of visits needed to the same farm.  Its objective is to reduce Cross-Compliance visits by about 25% in 2007.

Due to the nature of the Cross-Compliance requirements it is for example, necessary to inspect different requirements at different times of the year e.g. it is more practical to carry out cattle identification requirements in the winter months when the cattle are housed while some environmental requirements can only be inspected in the summer months.  

It is not a case of passing or failing inspection but some inspections may reveal that breaches of the Cross-Compliance rules and regulations have occurred.  

In 2005 some 298 farmers had a Cross-Compliance breach of some kind identified at inspection.

In 2005 the total amount of penalties deducted for breaches identified during Cross-Compliance on-farm inspections totalled £119,475 out of the total 2005 Single Farm Payment of £224m.

The Department has issued a comprehensive set of booklets to all Single Farm Payment applicants that set out full details of the Single Farm Payment Scheme including the eligibility requirements and the Cross-Compliance requirements. The Department also issued a Cross-Compliance summary document which sets out the main Cross-Compliance requirements in a user friendly format.

The Department is considering a range of actions to help and support farmers.  As already stated, it is looking at the inspection processes with an objective to reduce Cross-Compliance visits by about 25% in 2007.

The Departments College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise has been running courses to help farmers comply with aspects of the Cross-Compliance requirements. In the financial year 06/07 alone the Department hopes that 4,500 farmers will avail of this training opportunity.

All media enquiries to DARD Press Office, Tel: 028 9052 4619.