Some 84.7% of farmers have applied to the BPS to date.
Some 110,106 farmers have applied to the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme to date, the Department of Agriculture has told the
Irish Farmers Journal.
This represents 84.7% of farmers who can apply. The closing date for the scheme is 17 May and this is also the deadline for transfer of entitlements, Young Farmer Scheme, National Reserve, Straw Incorporation Measure, ANC and Protein Aid Scheme.
Bobby Miller, Irish Grain Growers chair
Farmers are being urged to avail of the Straw Incorporation Measure, ahead of the deadline on Monday 17 May.
IFA grain chair Mark Browne said all tillage farmers should consider the scheme: “It’s unlikely to be oversubscribed, so applicants will gain entry and receive €250/ha for straw from grain crops.” He particularly urged farmers with oilseed rape crops to apply: “€150/acre for incorporation seems like good value.”
Little over half of the estimated 8,000ha of rape ?straw has been applied on so far. It’s understood applications are at less than 30,000ha. The €10m budget for the pilot measure can cover up to 40,000ha at the full €250/ha rate. “Weather will have a bigger impact on the straw market than the scheme itself so I’d encourage farmers to apply if they are still unsure,” said Irish Grain Growers chair Bobby Miller.
The Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (ANC); and
The Protein Aid scheme.
Applicants should note that they must register for www.agfood.ie as a first step before they can complete their applications. Those who have not yet registered should this do this as soon as possible.
The department can help farmers in making their applications through its telephone helpdesk services.
The helpdesk service telephone number is 0761-064420.
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Lines will be open for extended hours in the run up to the application date as follows:
Between 9:15am and 9:00pm from Monday, May 10, to Friday, May 14;
On Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16 from 9:30am to 5:00pm;
SHARING OPTIONS:
The terms and conditions of the €10m Straw Incorporation Measure have revealed what will happen in the event the scheme is oversubscribed. \ Claire Nash
Imagine if a suckler scheme was devised, potentially worth thousands per successful applicant.
A ranking system is devised in case of over-subscription.
Niche traditional suckler breeds top the rankings, with Kerry cattle tops, followed by Angus, Hereford and then the continentals: Charolais, Simmental and Limousin, Belgian Blue, and finally Friesian cross suckler dams.
Fair enough, you say, there has to be some system in place.
Top of the queue
But then it emerges that owning one Kerry cow get you to the top of the queue, even if the rest of your herd are all Friesian crosses. This is ahead of the traditional suckler breeds and the continental breeds.
The Department of Agriculture reports that as of Tuesday evening, 38,976 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications have been submitted. This represents 29.98% of all applications, which is broadly in line with the corresponding period in recent years.
Farmers are being advised to submit applications promptly, with current coronavirus restrictions around face-to-face meetings with advisers and consultants likely to remain in place for quite some time.
In particular, farmers with significant changes to their application are advised to make contact early, to ensure there is ample time to work through these and also allow for correspondence to be shared by email or post.