Some 975 cattle and sheep farmers breached animal tagging rules in 2020 and were docked money from their Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payment.

Figures from the Department of Agriculture released to the Irish Farmers Journal show that 4,947 cross compliance inspections in relation to animal identification and registration were carried out in 2020 on cattle and sheep farms.

Some 1,633 cattle farmers and 137 sheep farmers were found to have breached the rules, but at a minor level such that no financial penalty was applied.

Some 792 cattle farmers and 183 sheep farmers received a penalty on their BPS.

Common breaches related to animals missing tags, animals not tagged with 20 days of birth or animals missing both ear tags. Farmers also breached the regulations by failing to notify movements, births, and deaths to the Department database within seven days of the event.

Animal identification and registration was also the top cross-compliance issue farmers were penalised for last year by the Department.

When asked by the Irish Farmers Journal for the total fines applied to farmers who breached the rules, the Department said it is not possible to provide the penalty monetary values or the percentage of BPS payments, as penalty amounts are calculated based on the final penalty position for the overall inspection outcome.

Archaeological sites and monuments are also included in landscape features

The figures also show that 103 farmers received cuts to their BPS payment last year for removing or damaging landscape features. These include hedgerows, gappy hedgerows, trees in a line, drains and ditches.

Archaeological sites and monuments are also included in landscape features.

This will see scrub and other non-agricultural features be included in the definition of an eligible hectare

A further 16 farmers were penalised for the encroachment of scrub, briars and gorse on to their land in 2020.

This issue will change in the next CAP, where it is proposed that up to 30% of a land parcel can consist of features that may be beneficial to climate and biodiversity.

This will see scrub and other non-agricultural features be included in the definition of an eligible hectare.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a drop in the number of cross-compliance inspections last year. Some 7,841 inspections took place, down from 10,225 in 2019.

The Department availed of a derogation in relation to certain administrative and on-the-spot checks applicable within the CAP due to COVID-19 to reduce the control rate for full cross-compliance required from 1% to at least 0.5%.