A total of 5,000 farmers participating in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) have yet to submit their carbon navigator. Some 19,000 farmers have so far sent in their carbon navigators.

Farmers have until 30 November to have the carbon navigators completed after the deadline was recently extended from the end of October.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed extended the deadline “due to significant pressures on both farmers and advisers”.

The carbon navigator is a key requirement of the BDGP. If a farmer does not complete a carbon navigator then they receive a 10% penalty on that aspect of the payment, not of their overall payment.

The carbon navigators must be completed in conjunction with a farmer’s adviser. Completing the carbon navigator is relatively straightforward and a farmer will need to know basic information such as stock numbers, age at first calving, meal usage and nitrogen usage on the farm.