The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president Tim Cullinan has raised concerns that deadlines for certain beef and sheep schemes will be impossible for some farmers to meet.
He said that this was due to a backlog in test results from laboratories because of the amount of samples which need to be processed.
Cullinan said that flexibility will be needed from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in relation to both the Sheep Welfare Scheme and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S).
The faecal egg testing action deadline set down by the department for farmers in the €19.5 million Sheep Welfare Scheme falls today (Friday, September 30).
For famers who are participating in BEEP-S the closing date for samples is on Monday, October 3.
However, IFA president Tim Cullinan stated that these dates “are proving difficult for farmers”.
He explained that this is because laboratories are “under severe pressure” because of the high volume of samples that require testing.
“There are lengthy delays in getting samples tested across the country and in some cases, labs cannot facilitate farmers who are left with no opportunity to complete the action before the deadline date.”
The IFA president called on the department of agriculture to recognise “the complexities and challenges facing farmers and laboratories”.
“Farmers must not be penalised where the deadlines are not met.
“Samples received or tested after these dates must be accepted by the DAFM without affecting eligibility for scheme payments as the overall objective of the measure will have been met,” Cullinan concluded.