Registering online for the Department of Agriculture’s fertiliser database is posing major challenges to farmers who are “not IT savvy”, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has warned.
INHFA vice president John Joe Fitzgerald called for an immediate relook of the deadline put on registering with the database, citing concerns that farmers will have to rush to make the 1 September deadline.
Fitzgerald claimed that many farmers were taken by surprise on receiving the Department letters notifying them of their obligations to sign up to the letter.
“While the farming media outlined details on this in recent weeks, the letter issued came as a major surprise to a lot of farmers,” Fitzgerald said.
“However, what has really annoyed most farmers is the short timeline for registration and the fact that it must be done online.
“The online registration will be a major issue for many farmers, especially those that are not IT savvy.
“These farmers will now have to chase down their farm advisors who are already under enormous pressure with a very complicated ACRES scheme and then pay them to do the online registration.”
Phone-in or paper forms
The INHFA vice president said that the 1 September deadline comes as farmers are under cashflow pressure as the Department pushes back key scheme payment dates.
“At a time when most farmers are struggling to keep the show on the road and seeing their cashflow undermined through delayed payments this autumn you would imagine the minister and his Department would have enough cop-on to at least provide different options for registration.
“It is now vital the Department immediately review the online registration requirement and the 1 September date.”
Phone-in and paper options should also be provided for registration after this review, Fitzgerald said.
Read more
Fertiliser register: what needs to happen and when?
'Avoid co-op floor rows' by registering for fertiliser database
Threat of fertiliser fines from September
Registering online for the Department of Agriculture’s fertiliser database is posing major challenges to farmers who are “not IT savvy”, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has warned.
INHFA vice president John Joe Fitzgerald called for an immediate relook of the deadline put on registering with the database, citing concerns that farmers will have to rush to make the 1 September deadline.
Fitzgerald claimed that many farmers were taken by surprise on receiving the Department letters notifying them of their obligations to sign up to the letter.
“While the farming media outlined details on this in recent weeks, the letter issued came as a major surprise to a lot of farmers,” Fitzgerald said.
“However, what has really annoyed most farmers is the short timeline for registration and the fact that it must be done online.
“The online registration will be a major issue for many farmers, especially those that are not IT savvy.
“These farmers will now have to chase down their farm advisors who are already under enormous pressure with a very complicated ACRES scheme and then pay them to do the online registration.”
Phone-in or paper forms
The INHFA vice president said that the 1 September deadline comes as farmers are under cashflow pressure as the Department pushes back key scheme payment dates.
“At a time when most farmers are struggling to keep the show on the road and seeing their cashflow undermined through delayed payments this autumn you would imagine the minister and his Department would have enough cop-on to at least provide different options for registration.
“It is now vital the Department immediately review the online registration requirement and the 1 September date.”
Phone-in and paper options should also be provided for registration after this review, Fitzgerald said.
Read more
Fertiliser register: what needs to happen and when?
'Avoid co-op floor rows' by registering for fertiliser database
Threat of fertiliser fines from September
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