22 June 2018
ICSA rural development chair Seamus Sherlock has called for a derogation to allow GLAS farmers with traditional hay meadow to mow hay over the coming days. “While the traditional hay meadow is well meaning, it is unconscionable that for the sake of a few days, we would prevent farmers from making hay while the sun shines.” The GLAS rule bans hay cutting until July 1st but the weather forecast for the rest of June is for brilliant sunshine.
“It is unacceptable that a once in ten year’s opportunity to make real quality hay would be missed only a few months after we imported hay due to the catastrophic fodder crisis. We do not want farmers to risk losing GLAS money for a breach of regulation but we have to have some common sense applied.”
“We have already seen an extension secured for slurry spreading for nitrates derogation farmers to allow them until July 15 to have 50% of their slurry spread. However, hay making is far more weather sensitive. Moreover, farmers in GLAS are at the fore in actively farming in an environmentally friendly way and it would be very unfair that they are made to suffer looking at a hay meadow while the sun shines.”
