The solution to the slurry spreading issue as announced by the Department today is only a sticking plaster when there is still a gaping wound there to be dressed.
Farmers have been given until Saturday, October 14, to apply for a slurry spreading extension.
Any reprieve is welcome but it is still not ideal situation and the condition attached that farmers who apply for this extension will be prioritised for inspection by the authorities in the future is downright scandalous and amounts to bullying by the Department. Does Minsrer Creed not realise what conditions farmers are having to work in at the moment? To threaten farmers in this way is a disgrace and Minister Creed should come out and apologise after this threat.
It is not that farmers have any extra slurry it is that they cannot spread the slurry they have because of wet land conditions and whoever wrote the terms and conditions of this extension process does not understand much about what is going on. I welcome the extension, but threatening farmers is not the way to go about it.
