3-crop rule derogation welcomed - 'but may need to be extended'

The decision by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the European Commission to grant a derogation on the three-crop rule has been welcomed by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).

According to the department, a decision has now been taken due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the wet weather last autumn, to make an exception to the crop diversification requirements for 2020 on a case-by-case basis for those farmers who meet certain criteria.

The derogation will apply to farmers who declared winter crops, maize or potatoes on their 2019 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application and can demonstrate that they were adversely affected by the weather conditions in late 2019.

However, IFA National Grain Committee chairman Mark Browne cautioned that the department may need to extend the derogation to farmers who may not have planted winter crops in 2019, if further wet conditions prevent scheduled plantings this spring.

“Forcing farmers to plant crops into unsuitable ground conditions would only further exacerbate the poor income situation prevailing on many tillage farms,” he said.

According to the department, farmers who wish to apply for this exception may do so as part of their 2020 BPS application.

The authority noted that further details on the mechanism for applying will be made available close to the opening of BPS applications.