After the big payout last week, an additional 3,673 farmers were paid €24 million in the last seven days. This brings the overall number of farmers now paid the 70% advance to 104,231. They have received €648.6 million. This is running behind the same week last year, when 110,000 farmers were paid, albeit smaller amounts, due to the lift in the advance from 50% to 70% in 2015.

Department phone lines have become significantly busier this week, as farmers not yet paid try to find out the issues. Some letters have been issued asking farmers to resend maps, while additional information is being required due to over claims or dual claims. In some cases, the hold-up appears to be on the Department’s side, due to digitising and processing issues.

Entitlements that were leased in 2015 using a private contract clause (PCC) have not yet being paid. The processing of these payments is ongoing, and letters will be issued in the next few weeks.

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Where advance payments were already made, the farmer will only get the leased entitlement payments with their balance after 1 December. The Department did hold back some payments where the leased entitlements made up the majority of the farmers’ payments. Entitlements that were inherited or gifted are also being delayed due to processing issues.

The majority of farmers who established new partnerships this year are also still waiting for payments. The reason, in most cases, is issues with the processing system and cases have to be done individually to clear them for payment. Other farmers who contacted The Farmers Journal spoke of digitising issues, where the Department had not got the maps on the system to clear their payment.

The Department will be running payments at regular intervals to clear processed cases at the earliest opportunity. Farmers signed up to the Department text service will receive a text when the money is heading for their account. The other issue for farmers is understanding how the new payment is worked out. If you are registered on agfood.ie, your payment details, including remittance information, can be viewed online from the new financial self-services section within the site.

ANC

An additional 2,726 farmers were paid their Area of National Constraints payment in the last week. It brings to 79,091 farmers being paid a total of €167.6m.

Many of the remaining cases awaiting payment are where farmers have not met the stocking density and retention period set out under the scheme. The other main problems are in relation to the land area claimed.

National Reserve

The 6,000 farmers that applied for entitlements under the National Reserve will be told if they are successful by the end of November. This includes new entrants, young farmers and farmers who qualify under the Scottish derogation.

This will be followed by payments on entitlements in early December. Successful farmers will get entitlements worth around €170/ha, which entitles them to a top-up of 45.5% under greening, bringing the total to €240 per hectare.

Farmers who were ruled out will have a chance to appeal. The biggest issue currently is farmers who are not replying to requests for additional information. The Department has written to some applicants for the third time and have yet to get a response. These farmers will be ruled out of getting entitlements if they do not reply.