13th July, 2012

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association president, Gabriel Gilmartin, has issued an appeal to farm inspectors to make allowances for the serious effect the current heavy rainfall is having on farms across the country.  

Mr. Gilmartin said, “we are conscious that the Department is obliged to carry out inspections, and as such, we understand that they cannot be cancelled or postponed.  However, meeting the required standard under these weather conditions will be extremely difficult and I would really hope that the inspectors recognise this when they visit farms.”

“For example, in a lot of places poaching is at a serious level, many farmers have re-housed their cattle and land is too wet to spread slurry so tanks are full.  Heavy crops of rushes are also problematic and could mean penalties in an inspection – but the weather at the moment means they can’t be sprayed or cut.”

Mr. Gilmartin concluded, “farmers are under huge pressure just getting their work done on a day-to-day basis with the amount of rain we’re getting.  I am appealing to the inspectors, with their knowledge of farming, to take the effect of the bad weather into account.”