Almost 30% of Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) farmers have received penalties as a result of non-compliance with the terms of the scheme, figures from the Department of Agriculture obtained by the Irish Farmers Journal show.

For 2015, 28.24% of BDGP applicants have had their payments reduced as a result of non-compliance.

Of these, 73% had reductions of less than €100 and a further 22% with reductions of less than €500.

Going by these figures, it means that 95% of reductions were under €500.

In 2016, 27.53% of BDGP applicants had their payments reduced as a result of non-compliance, and of these 76% had reductions of less than €100, with a further 21% with reductions of less than €500. Similar to 2015, 97% of reductions were under €500.

Withdrawals

To date, some 5,220 farmers have withdrawn from the BDGP scheme. Approximately 24,000 farmers remain in the scheme. A breakdown of the monies the Department has been paid back by the 5,220 farmers that have exited the scheme wasn’t available from the Department.