Payments of over €357m are on the way to farmers’ bank accounts in time for Christmas.

The Department of Agriculture has issued a number of scheme payments since the beginning of the week, with money expected to reach farmersin the coming days.

On Wednesday, outgoing Minister of Agriculture Charlie McConalogue confirmed that balancing payments for the 2024 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme had commenced.

These ANC balancing payments are worth approximately €36.15m to farmers, with the full payment sum priced at €241m.

To date, 99% of eligible applicants have received their payment under the scheme.The €241m total ANC payment to 96,731 farmers is an increase on previous years, with €238m paid to 95,000 farmers at balancing stage in 2023.

This year’s Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS) payments begun issuing on Tuesday. Some 23,132 suckler farmers are to receive €19.98m.

On Monday, the minister announced balancing payments for the 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistribution of Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) schemes, with some €270m under these currently on the way to farmers. These balancing payments will bring the total paid to 116,449 farmers under these schemes to €807m. Some 98% of eligible applicants are presently in receipt of a payment under this scheme.

Young farmers

This year’s Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF) payment issued on the same day. A total of €31m is being paid out to 5,584 young farmers.

“Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and my Department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as any outstanding queries are addressed,” the minister stated.