Commodity watch by senior policy officer Aileen Lawson
Environment cross-compliance inspections are well underway in Northern Ireland (NI). The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) recently met with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for an update on the inspection process and a review of inspection and water pollution statistics. NIEA reported that officials have conducted around half of the required routine inspections to date this year. While the percentage of breaches identified during 2021 inspections were down on previous years, it is vital that this trend continues to avoid tougher rules being implemented in the future.
Routine cross-compliance inspections require NIEA to select a number of farms who receive Basic Payment to check they are complying with the Nutrient Action Programme Regulations and other environmental requirements. 25 percent of the sample are randomly selected while the remainder are selected using risk-based criteria.
During routine cross-compliance inspections NIEA will check yards, silos and tanks as well as waterways for signs of pollution. Records will also have to be submitted to NIEA following the inspection and it is important that farmers keep these up to date. In addition, farmers are reminded that if NIEA directly receive reports of pollution this can trigger further cross-compliance inspections in addition to those farms that were singled out for routine checks.
The recent warm and dry weather has resulted in lower flows in our rivers and streams making them more susceptible to nutrients and pollution incidents. It is vital that farmers and contractors spreading and managing slurry adhere to the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) regulations and ensure that they keep away from waterways. The UFU also advises farmers to check that slurry tanks, channels and silos are all in order with no potential for leaks to ensure contamination of waterways is avoided. It is also essential to check beyond the farmyard. Check all waterways on the farm on a regular basis for signs of contamination. It is in everyone’s interest to ensure that waterways are protected to avoid costly fines and penalties being applied to area payments.
Farmers are also reminded that under cross-compliance rules, hedges must not be cut between 1 March and 31 August unless there are health and safety issues. Birds are still nesting and it is an offence to disturb nesting birds. Good hedges provide food (flowers) from spring to autumn, shelter and act as corridors for insects and wildlife to move through the landscape. Neat and tidy intensively managed hedges offer little benefits for wildlife, birds, pollinators or shelter for livestock.
If you are a UFU member and receive notification of an inspection or you want to discuss the various rules and regulations that farmers are required to adhere to, you can contact UFU headquarters or your local group office who will then put you in contact with a technical officer for further advice including how to prepare for an inspection and assistance with record keeping.
