There were 123,705 applications made to the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme and other area-based schemes ahead of the 15 May deadline.

Cork saw the highest number of applications made at 12,181, followed by Galway with 11,603 and Mayo with 10,942.

Farmers who have not yet submitted an application may still do so with a 1% payment penalty for every day their application went beyond the 15 May deadline.

The deadline applied to the following schemes: eco schemes, Complementary Redistribution Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CIS-YF), protein aid, the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM, Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC), Multi Species Sward Measure (MSSM) and Red Clover Silage Measure (RCSM), as well as annual claims for the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).

Those who have made a BISS and other area-based schemes application but wish to amend their application can do so on agfood.ie up to midnight on Saturday 31 May without penalty.

Entitlement transfers

A total of 33,951 applications were received by the Department of Agriculture to transfer payment entitlements.

Applicants whose BISS applications change and find themselves not having sufficient land on which to claim all of their entitlements can still apply to transfer entitlements until 31 May.

These applications late to the transfer market must show that it was a change to their application that led to their need to transfer entitlements.

Critical importance

“Area-based support schemes are of critical importance to farmers,” Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said.

“One of the key milestones is the 15 May deadline and I’m delighted that so many farmers have submitted their forms on time.

“This figure reflects the massive effort made by farmers, FAS Advisors and by my department in assisting farmers with these schemes and their various requirements.

“I want to particularly acknowledge the advisory services again this year, who have worked extremely hard with their client farmers to meet a range of application deadlines in recent months.”

The minister stated that around 1,440 farmers received Department assistance at the 16 one-to-one clinics held ahead of the application deadline and further 338 farmers received help from the public office in Portlaoise.

Over 10,000 calls were received by the direct payments’ helpdesk since 1 April.

“I want every eligible farmer to maximise their payments because I and everyone in my department knows how crucial they are to farm families,” Minister Hedon concluded.