The EU's Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan has agreed a derogation for arable farmers in the UK from the three-crop rule requirements.
Whilst formal approval from the European Commission for the derogation is now awaited, Commissioner Hogan’s announcement on Friday (4 May) will help to allay some of the concerns expressed by UK arable farmers.
Mr Hogan has proposed full derogation from the requirements of the three-crop rule for arable farmers in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and an easing of the rules for arable farmers in parts of England and Wales.
The Commissioner said farmers in England and Wales were not quite as badly affected by the recent severe weather compared to farmers in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Last month, the UK government requested a country-wide exemption from the three crop rule for 2018 to support arable farmers affected by unusually heavy rain and snow experienced in recent weeks.
Farming Minister George Eustice wrote to the European Commission to request the exemption.
Severe weather
The three crop rule is an EU requirement for farmers with more than thirty hectares to grow at least here different crops every year.
The severe weather the UK experienced this winter has impacted farmers in several ways, including their ability to meet this element of the Common Agricultural Policy’s crop diversification requirements, given that much of the main sowing period was characterised by heavy rain and snow.
Through no fault of their own, farmers in many areas have been unable to sow the crops they had intended to grow.
Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) president Ivor Ferguson welcomed the news. He said: "Arable and horticulture growers have been facing huge challenges following a prolonged spell of relentless wet weather while trying to meet the 'three-crop rule'.
"Many farmers were unable to plant winter crops due to poor field conditions and the delayed planting of spring crops has left them with very few options."
Mr Ferguson continued: "This is welcome news for farmers who can be reassured that their greening payments will not be impacted on now the derogation has been agreed. Growers will be able to make crop choices that best suits their current situation."
