Farmers in NI are set to receive advanced CAP payments worth 70% of claims from mid-October.

A DAERA spokesperson confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal on Wednesday that the Department is on course to make advanced payments to farmers this year, and a request has been made to increase the rate of payment from 50% to 70% of the claim.

“Recognising the adverse impact the long period of dry weather has had on farm businesses, particularly on winter fodder stocks, the Department made a request to the European Commission for permission to increase the level of advance payments,” the spokesperson said.

Last week, the European Commission announced that 70% advanced payments could be issued by member states to help farmers affected by drought conditions.

“We are awaiting formal notification that this is the case for NI,” the DAERA spokesperson said.

The other measure announced by the Commission last week is an exemption for arable farmers to certain Greening requirements, which will allow fallow land to be used to produce animal feed.

Third year

This will be third year in a row that the Department has been able to issue advanced payments from mid-October, and the third time that the rate has been increased from 50% to 70%.

In 2016, the higher rate of advanced payment was allowed as part of the Commission’s exceptional aid package in response to pressure on farm incomes across sectors.

Last year, increased advanced payments in NI were allowed by the Commission after farms were flooded in the northwest in August.

The Commission allows advanced payments to be issued from 16 October and in past two years DAERA made payments to farmers from that date through to 31 October.

After that, balance payments for farmers that received an advance, and full payments for farmers that did not, were issued from 1 December.