The Irish Farmers Journal can exclusively reveal that following intense pressure from farmers and the IFA, the Department has extended the deadline for applications to the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP).

The initial deadline was Friday 29 May, but that has been extended to Friday 5 June.

A statement from the Department to the Irish Farmers Journal on Wednesday confirmed the extension.

“The rate of application is increasing, and I want to give as many farmers as possible the opportunity to apply for this excellent scheme,” Minister Coveney said.

At the time of going to print, it is understood that somewhere in the region of 15,500 farmers had applied to be part of the BDGP. This is still well short of the 35,000 farmers which the Minister for Agriculture had anticipated.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal in recent weeks, Minister Coveney confirmed that if the 35,000 target was not met, then he would reopen BDGP to ensure that the target was met.

There has been considerable anger towards the BDGP since it was launched three weeks ago. While the €52m per annum budget was well received, many of the conditions including the threat of clawbacks and the need to be in the scheme for six years have caused serious concern among farmers.

Minister Coveney again tried to reassure farmers on the clawbacks issue.

“Subject to normal terms and conditions, where a farmer disposes of land, whether by sale, lease, gift or inheritance, the transferee may take on the obligations of the transferor under the programme. Alternatively, these obligations may expire, with no clawback of the funding received up to that point. The commitments will not of course be considered to have expired where the participant retains sufficient land to fulfil his obligations under the programme,” Minister Coveney said.

Meanwhile, a large number of TDs attended an IFA lobby session in Buswells hotel in Dublin city centre on Wednesday where IFA livestock representatives voiced their concerns over the programme. The meeting was chaired by IFA president Eddie Downey.