No Donegal farmers or landowners faced penalties or reductions in payments last year for burning during the closed season.
The burning of agricultural lands in the closed period is monitored by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). Under Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, growing vegetation cannot be burnt between 1 March and 31 August of any given year, on any land not yet cultivated.
“In addition, these (burned) lands are deemed ineligible for payment under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) administered by this department,” a Department of Agriculture spokesperson told Donegal Daily.
“In Donegal, there were no penalties or reductions in 2022.”
A county by breakdown provided by the department shows that Mayo was the worst record with 41 penalties and reductions worth almost €95,000. They were followed by Galway (34) and Carlow (31).
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