Completion of sheep inventory forms

Keepers of sheep and goats in NI are required to complete the annual flock inventory card and return it to DAERA by 5 January 2018.

Details of the number of sheep and goats on the holding between 1 and 5 December 2017 must be provided. This should also be recorded in the on-farm flock register.

A failure to return inventory cards will increase the possibility of the flock being selected for an identification inspection by DAERA. The card must be signed and posted to DAERA in the pre-addressed envelope. Alternatively, the inventory can be completed on the department’s website through DAERA online services.

CAP money issued

Full or balance CAP payments have been issued to 97% of NI farmers in December, a DAERA spokesperson has said.

Between making balance payments to the farmers who received a 70% advance in October, and full payments to those who did not, £95m was paid to 23,395 farm businesses this month. According to DAERA, the record number of payments issued before the end of the year was due to an increased uptake of online applications, with 99% submitted online this year.

The number of farm businesses subject to a land inspection which received a December payment has also increased, with 1,471 paid this year, up from 959 in 2016.