The announcement made by the minister today means anyone who meets the definition of a ‘young farmer’ can apply to both the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme.

National Reserve

The National Reserve will be established using 3% of the ceiling allocated to the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015, which will create a fund of close to €25 million. Successful applicants will receive an allocation of entitlements based on the eligible land declared on their 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application. This will be at a value equal to the national average value of entitlements in the year of application. Successful applicants who already hold entitlements which are below the national average value will receive a top-up whereby the value of those entitlements will be increased to the national average value. Under EU Regulation the two categories of Young Farmer and New Entrant to farming receive priority access to the National Reserve but other categories may follow depending on available resources. The closing date for receipt of applications for the two priority categories under the National Reserve is 31 March 2015.

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Young Farmers Scheme

A fund of over €24 million will be available to the Young Farmers Scheme for each of the years 2015 to 2019. The Scheme will be used to provide an additional payment to any person who qualifies as a ‘young farmer’. It is available to successful applicants for a maximum period of five years. The aim of the scheme is to assist young farmers in the initial stages of establishing a farming enterprise in their own name. The closing date for receipt of applications under the Young Farmer scheme is 15 May 2015.

Definition of young farmer

To qualify as a young farmer an applicant must be participating in the Basic Payment Scheme in the year in which the application is made. The applicant must also be no more than 40 years of age at any time during the calendar year in which an application is first submitted under this same scheme.

Application process

Applications to both the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme should be submitted using the online facility made available at www.agfood.ie

Queries should be directed to the Department of Agriculture on 0761 064 446 or via email at NationalReserveYFS@agriculture.gov.ie