Farmers were penalised for removing or damaging landscape features in 2021 ,following cross-compliance inspections.

When asked how many farmers were penalised for a hedge encroaching into a field and for scrub on land parcels, the Department said that four farmers were penalised for encroachment of invading hardwood species onto land.

This included scrub, briars and gorse.

One of the biggest changes from next year,?will relate to the treatment of landscape features on farms.

Under conditionality, which replaces cross compliance, all farmers will be required to have at least 4% of their holding dedicated to these landscape features in what the Department is terming ‘space for nature’.

This will see farmers rewarded for scrub, hedges, gorse and briars.

Water quality inspections

Meanwhile, some 372 farmers breached water quality regulations under cross-compliance inspections in 2021, Department of Agriculture figures show.

Of this number, 336 farmers had penalties imposed for breaches of the regulations.

Twenty-five farmers were found to not have the adequate storage capacity for organic fertilisers and, of this number, all 25 had penalties imposed by the Department.