By Chris Ashmore
DONEGAL County Council is set to nearly treble the number of farm inspections this year, it has been confirmed.
Last year, the local authority completed 71 farm inspections in 2024 under the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations, focusing on areas of the county where agriculture has been linked to poor water quality.
These inspections focused on farmyards, slurry and soiled water storage capacity, fertiliser use and minimisation of soiled water.
Farmers received advance notice through the post giving at least a week to prepare for the inspection, and a final report was issued after completion.
The main issues continue to centre around collection and holding of farm effluent and the control of soiled water in farmyards.
The target number of inspections for 2025 is increasing to 215.