Incorrect payment breakdowns were sent to a number of Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) participants in June, according to the ICMSA.

It raised the issue with the Department of Agriculture at a Farmers’ Charter meeting last week, and the Department accepted that a mistake had been made in relation to the paperwork of several farmers.

Satisfied

Despite the paperwork glitch, the Department was satisfied that the correct balancing payment had reached each farmer, and the right paperwork would be sent out in the coming weeks.

ICMSA livestock chair Des Morrison stated that he was struck by the fact that the Department could make a genuine mistake without penalty, but the same courtesy of permitting a genuine mistake when it came to paperwork was not afforded to farmers.

The scheme requires that 60% of a herd must have four or five €uro-Stars by 2021.

In the 2017 annual report of the Agriculture Appeals Office, it reported that it had received the highest number of appeals in relation to the scheme.

Some 110 BDGP appeals were submitted by farmers, with most relating to BVD requirements and the registration of animals.