BEEF Finisher, Sheep Welfare Scheme and GLAS payments commence

Payments began this week under the Beef Finisher Payment, Sheep Welfare Scheme and GLAS Plus.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue announced on Wednesday that payments totalling €46.6m to 27,200 applicants had started under the Beef Finisher Payment (BFP).

The BFP was launched as a one-off scheme funded by the national exchequer under the COVID-19 State aid temporary framework.

It provided a payment of €100 per head to a maximum of 100 animals to beef farmers who presented cattle for slaughter in the period from 1 February 2020 to 12 June 2020, inclusive, and who applied for the payment and satisfied the terms and conditions.

Quality assurance

The main criteria here was that finishers must be a member of the Bord Bia Beef and Lamb Quality Assurance Scheme at the time of application, or undertake to become a member of the quality scheme prior to 30 September 2020, and maintain that membership on a continuous basis until 30 September 2021.

Agents and dealers were not eligible to apply and factory-owned or controlled cattle were also not eligible for payment.

Beef farming is an important economic activity, with a significant multiplier effect in local rural communities

The Minister said: “This payment provides a valuable income support and helps mitigate the economic impact for those farmers who finished cattle when prices were under particular pressure as a result of COVID-19 earlier this year. Beef farming is an important economic activity, with a significant multiplier effect in local rural communities, and thus is more important than ever in sustaining these communities as we work towards economic recovery.”

The Minister said the BFP has also helped to keep a floor under the mart trade: “The scheme has assisted beef finishers in purchasing weanlings and store animals which has, in turn, supported our suckler farmers”.

The minister also announced advance payments totalling €14.7m would start to be issued to 18,200 participants under year four of the Sheep Welfare Scheme on Tuesday.

This payment represents 85% of a producer’s total payment, with the 15% balancing payment to be paid in the second quarter of next year after European Commission checks have been completed.

Minister McConalogue said: “The scheme reflects the commitment of the Government to the sheep sector in Ireland and provides a significant financial boost to the individual farmers and the sector in general.”

In 2019 the scheme issued payments totalling €16.8m, paid to 18,594 farmers.

The additional year of the scheme will be opening in February 2021

There has been an additional €17m in funding allocated to the scheme under Budget 2021, allowing the scheme to roll over to 2021. It is expected that the terms and conditions will remain the same but this has not been clarified as yet.

Minister McConalogue added: “The additional year of the scheme will be opening in February 2021 and as in previous years there will be an opportunity for new entrants to the sector to join the scheme.”

The scheme is co-funded by the European Union as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020.

Reference years

The payments were welcomed by IFA sheep chair Sean Dennehy who also said sheep farmers would be happy with news that the scheme will run again next year.

“This provides new entrants with the opportunity to join the scheme, which is something IFA has campaigned for,” Dennehy said.

However, he added that the current reference years do not reflect current flock numbers on many sheep farms. He said it would need to be updated if generational renewal was to be encouraged on sheep farms.

There was also positive news on Wednesday for the 3,200 participants of the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme-Plus or GLAS Plus. Payments of €3.6m have been paid this week to the applicants who have been described as delivering an exceptional environmental output.

The Departmental announcement also included advance GLAS payments worth €11m to farmers who were not paid in the initial payment and brings the total paid out under to scheme to €14m in the last two weeks and over €152m since payments began.

The rate of issue of these payments will be welcomed by farmers in every county in Ireland

The Minister said: “I am very pleased that GLAS payments are issuing at an accelerated rate this year. GLAS-Plus payments are commencing this week four weeks ahead of schedule. This brings GLAS payments to date to a total of over €152.6m. The rate of issue of these payments will be welcomed by farmers in every county in Ireland. I am particularly pleased that these payments are commencing ahead of our stated targets this year and at an accelerated rate in light of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.”

The Minister provided further information of the rollover of GLAS plans due to conclude in 2020 to 2021.

“Subject to clearance from the European Commission on our proposed RDP amendment, these GLAS participants will be contacted directly by my Department in early December with full details on how to extend their participation for 2021.”

Farmers who are still awaiting payments can contact the GLAS helpdesk at 076-106 4451 or email GLAS@agriculture.gov.ie. Regular pay runs will continue to take place over the coming weeks as GLAS cases are cleared for payment. Any GLAS participants with outstanding documentation including LESS or Rare Breed forms or those who have been contacted by the Department of Agriculture with queries in relation to their GLAS participation or BPS application are urged to respond as soon as possible in order to facilitate the early issue of payments.