Fewer farms are being given the all-clear on cross-compliance inspections, Department of Agriculture figures show. While the number of inspections carried out between 2010 and 2016 has been reasonably steady at between 7,400 and 8,300, the proportion of farms that were found to be totally clear of any problems has fallen sharply.
Fewer farms are being given the all-clear on cross-compliance inspections, Department of Agriculture figures show.
While the number of inspections carried out between 2010 and 2016 has been reasonably steady at between 7,400 and 8,300, the proportion of farms that were found to be totally clear of any problems has fallen sharply.
Drop
In 2010, some 71% of all farms were clear of any cross-compliance breach. However, this fell to just 39% of farms in both 2015 and 2016.
While not all breaches result in a financial penalty, the proportion of farms that are fined has been on an upward trend, rising from 23% in 2010 to a peak of more than 36% in 2014 and 33% last year.
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