Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has announced this week that Ireland will notify the EU Commission of its intention to avail of a derogation for cereal farmers in relation to the crop diversification rules for 2023.
This change will provide maximum flexibility for farmers regarding their planting decisions in the coming weeks and months. The relaxation of these rules is part of the EU response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is aimed at addressing the heightened food security concerns related to global food availability and affordability.
“This change should be seen as complementing the measures already taken by the Government in 2022 to encourage Irish farmers to grow more tillage crops which in turn will help towards producing more food,” said the Minister.
In relation to 2024, Minister McConalogue added: “My officials are engaging with EU Commission services in relation to the crop diversification and crop rotation requirements from 2024. I am pleased to announce that a hybrid of Crop Diversification and Crop Rotation, suitable to the Irish situation, has been agreed with the European Commission”.
