The facility for amending applications submitted under the Fodder Support Scheme (FSS) 2023 is now open on the Department’s agfood.ie facility.
Initial applications to FSS 2023 had to be submitted by 5 December 2022 to facilitate advance payments.
The advance payment rate was based on the area of lands declared in the 2022 scheme year, with applicants receiving an advance payment of 57% in December 2022 based on a payment rate of €100/ha.
Applicants now have the opportunity to review the area declared and, where necessary, make amendments. The area of lands declared for 2023 can only be amended downwards, i.e. an applicant cannot increase the area declared in 2022 for the 2023 scheme. The facility to amend applications closes at 11.59pm on 12 September 2023.
Accessing the scheme
Logging in to the FSS 2023 application is straightforward by following these steps:
Login to your agfood.ie account using your username, three digits from your unique personal access code (PAC) and your password.Scroll down the list of options and select ‘Exceptional Aid Measures’. At the top left, select ‘scheme to enter’ followed by ‘Fodder Support Scheme’.Clicking the circle under the heading ‘select’ will allow you to view or edit your application. When you view your application and if you are satisfied that the area declared in 2022 is sufficient for 2023, then no further action is needed. However, if you want to reduce your claimed area, then you need to select the option to edit your application, submit the relevant areas for first- and second-cut hay / silage, tick the boxes to confirm that you agree with the statement and then click submit at the bottom of the page. Scheme withdrawal
If an applicant wishes to withdraw from the 2023 FSS, then there are three options.
The area declared in 2023 can be amended to zero hectares and this will be deemed an automatic withdrawal.
Alternatively, a withdrawal request in writing can be emailed to fss@agriculture.gov.ie or posted to FSS, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Government Offices, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois, R32 RPA6, making sure that the statement is received by the Department by the 12 September closing date.
Department advice
The Department advises that “in circumstances where an applicant has not completed, or only partially completed, the action; the declared area in the 2023 BISS application has changed; or no 2023 BISS application has been submitted, the FSS 2023 application should be amended or withdrawn as appropriate. Failure to do so may result in recoupment and application of penalties, as per the scheme’s terms and conditions which are at gov.ie - Fodder Support Scheme (www.gov.ie).”
Scheme correspondence
The Department also advises that correspondence linked to the scheme and details of the 2023 areas submitted for payment will only be available online.
“Herdowners are advised to check their agfood account regularly for any correspondence relating to their application,” it stated.
An SMS will also issue to farmers signed up to receive Department text messages on Wednesday informing them that the scheme is now open for amendments.
Future payments
The advance payments made in December 2022 amounted to €30m. To fulfil a payment rate of €100/ha (maximum of €1,000 per applicant) and deliver a similar budget to the 2022 scheme, further funding will be required from the national exchequer.
At the time of announcing the advance payment, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said: “The initial budget for the Fodder Support Scheme is €30m, with an overall payment rate of up to €100 per hectare.
"I have stated previously that I will continue to monitor the situation around the price of agricultural inputs into 2023 and, in the event that they remain high, I will be seeking additional funding for this scheme.”
The facility for amending applications submitted under the Fodder Support Scheme (FSS) 2023 is now open on the Department’s agfood.ie facility.
Initial applications to FSS 2023 had to be submitted by 5 December 2022 to facilitate advance payments.
The advance payment rate was based on the area of lands declared in the 2022 scheme year, with applicants receiving an advance payment of 57% in December 2022 based on a payment rate of €100/ha.
Applicants now have the opportunity to review the area declared and, where necessary, make amendments. The area of lands declared for 2023 can only be amended downwards, i.e. an applicant cannot increase the area declared in 2022 for the 2023 scheme. The facility to amend applications closes at 11.59pm on 12 September 2023.
Accessing the scheme
Logging in to the FSS 2023 application is straightforward by following these steps:
Login to your agfood.ie account using your username, three digits from your unique personal access code (PAC) and your password.Scroll down the list of options and select ‘Exceptional Aid Measures’. At the top left, select ‘scheme to enter’ followed by ‘Fodder Support Scheme’.Clicking the circle under the heading ‘select’ will allow you to view or edit your application. When you view your application and if you are satisfied that the area declared in 2022 is sufficient for 2023, then no further action is needed. However, if you want to reduce your claimed area, then you need to select the option to edit your application, submit the relevant areas for first- and second-cut hay / silage, tick the boxes to confirm that you agree with the statement and then click submit at the bottom of the page. Scheme withdrawal
If an applicant wishes to withdraw from the 2023 FSS, then there are three options.
The area declared in 2023 can be amended to zero hectares and this will be deemed an automatic withdrawal.
Alternatively, a withdrawal request in writing can be emailed to fss@agriculture.gov.ie or posted to FSS, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Government Offices, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois, R32 RPA6, making sure that the statement is received by the Department by the 12 September closing date.
Department advice
The Department advises that “in circumstances where an applicant has not completed, or only partially completed, the action; the declared area in the 2023 BISS application has changed; or no 2023 BISS application has been submitted, the FSS 2023 application should be amended or withdrawn as appropriate. Failure to do so may result in recoupment and application of penalties, as per the scheme’s terms and conditions which are at gov.ie - Fodder Support Scheme (www.gov.ie).”
Scheme correspondence
The Department also advises that correspondence linked to the scheme and details of the 2023 areas submitted for payment will only be available online.
“Herdowners are advised to check their agfood account regularly for any correspondence relating to their application,” it stated.
An SMS will also issue to farmers signed up to receive Department text messages on Wednesday informing them that the scheme is now open for amendments.
Future payments
The advance payments made in December 2022 amounted to €30m. To fulfil a payment rate of €100/ha (maximum of €1,000 per applicant) and deliver a similar budget to the 2022 scheme, further funding will be required from the national exchequer.
At the time of announcing the advance payment, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said: “The initial budget for the Fodder Support Scheme is €30m, with an overall payment rate of up to €100 per hectare.
"I have stated previously that I will continue to monitor the situation around the price of agricultural inputs into 2023 and, in the event that they remain high, I will be seeking additional funding for this scheme.”
SHARING OPTIONS