Over €4m is due to go out to 1,200 organic farmers shortly. Payments under the Organic Farming Scheme for 2014 were delayed due to an industrial relations problem which has now been resolved. All the necessary administrative checks are now under way and payment will commence shortly.

Meanwhile, AEOS payments are still continuing. The number of farmers who have received their Single Farm Payment is now 120,663, with total payments of €1.16bn made.

The number of farmers who received disadvantaged area payments of €195m increased to 92,434.

The stocking figures for December are due to be processed which should see another batch of farmers who qualify for the stocking density criteria being paid.

The Department has also confirmed that farmers that were excluded from DAS since 2012 due to retrospective stocking rate will be free to apply for the new scheme of Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) this year.