Some 71,665 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications have been received by the Department of Agriculture to date.

Of this number, 63,915 have been made online and 7,750 paper applications have been received. Monday 15 May is the deadline for applications to the scheme.

While there is a 25-day window following the closing date, where late applications will be accepted, farmers should be aware that deductions do apply after this date.

From Tuesday 16 May a deduction at the rate of 1% per day will apply. This will not apply to weekends or the bank holiday Monday on 5 June.

The percentage deduction will rise to 18% by the end of the 25-day window, on 9 June.

Once this date has passed, no application will be accepted, except in exceptional circumstances, resulting in a 100% deduction.

Terms and conditions in the event of a late application are available on the Department of Agriculture’s website.

GLAS roadblock

Last week, the Irish Farmers Journal reported that in the region of 1,000 GLAS farmers remain unable to lodge their BPS applications, due to a block on their applications.

Despite the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) formally writing to the Department requesting all blocks to be lifted by 30 April, it appears that the blocks remain.

The Department has confirmed that about 1,000 GLAS III applications are “currently held for further examination”, in addition to a “limited number of additional cases, for which parcel information is under review before the 2017 BPS application can be finalised”.

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