Peter Varley gets an update from DAFM on commonly asked scheme queries
Q. Will the Minister for Agriculture make a request to the European Commission to make immediate first instalment payments for GLAS and AEOS to farmers awaiting payment?A. Payments will continue to be processed on an ongoing basis.
Q. When will farmers who made applications in GLAS III receive confirmation of acceptance to the scheme?A. GLAS III application processing is being finalised this week and decision letters will begin issuing when this is complete.
Q. Will the Department make outstanding GLAS I and II payments now to the farmers still awaiting payment of the first instalment?A. The Department is reviewing applications which have not yet passed all required checks and validations. As these cases clear the validations, payment will be made.
Q. Will the Department make outstanding AEOS payments now to farmers still awaiting payment of the first instalment?A. 2016 AEOS payments in excess of €19.2m have now issued to over 6,000 farmers. The most recent payments were issued yesterday (31 January), with just under 350 participants receiving payment totalling in excess of €850,000. Administrative checks are continuing for AEOS I and II schemes, along with AEOS II rechecks for all scheme years. Payments will issue following successful completion of the required checks.
Q. How many farmers partaking in the Organic Farming Scheme are still awaiting payment?A. The figure still awaiting payment is 578.
Q. Will the TAMS II tillage scheme be launched soon?A. It is anticipated that the tillage scheme will be launched in the near future. The development work for the online application system is being finalised currently.
Q. How many approvals have issued for the fourth tranche of TAMS and how many applications were made in that tranche?A. A total of 1,761 applications were received in tranche four of the TAMS II scheme and, to date, 583 approvals have issued.
Q. How long does it take on average from the time a TAMS tranche closes to receive approval to commence work?A. Each application received in a given tranche is checked initially for administrative aspects and then applications go through the ranking and selection process prior to the technical aspects of the application being checked in the local office. There are a number of checks which are required and each application is examined individually. All applications are processed as speedily as possible.
Urea will be available in seven to 10 days
Urea is still very scarce in co-operatives around the country this week. The majority of co-ops have stated that they hope to have urea in stock in the next seven to 10 days. One co-op has confirmed a shipment arriving in the middle of February.
Merchants are predicting urea will range in price from €350 to €362/t. A number of distributors have noted a change in demand with one stating: “The fierce panic that was on for urea over the past few weeks is now gone due to the recent change in the weather, but there is still a demand for the product.”
As regards what fertilisers are currently being sold in co-ops, he said: “It’s a mixture of everything. At the moment, a lot of farmers are coming in matching up soil test results to the suitable fertilisers. In saying this, a lot of the fertiliser that has been sold in the past number of weeks still remains in the bag in farmers’ yards. They’re waiting on the right weather.”
There is little variation in CAN prices across the country, with prices from €240 to €245/t being quoted. Compound fertilisers remain steady, with 18:6:12 prices ranging from €340 to €345/t.
The quantity purchased will contribute to a price difference, with many merchants willing to discount €10 to €20/t for loads over 10t. Some have also said that promptness of payment may also contribute to discounts.
Milk scheme
Farmers who opted to apply for phase one of the Voluntary Supply Management Scheme must have their forms returned to their co-operative by Friday 3 February. Those who applied in September and who were approved would have received a blue form in early January detailing their production over the first phase. Dual suppliers should source the relevant form from their co-operatives, complete them (with the assistance of both co-operatives and purchasers) and return them directly to the Department by 3 February. Co-operatives and milk purchasers will be able to advise producers with any queries they may have. Those who applied under phase two of the scheme (November to January) will receive a form in the post in the coming weeks to be returned to their co-op(s).
Peter Varley gets an update from DAFM on commonly asked scheme queries
Q. Will the Minister for Agriculture make a request to the European Commission to make immediate first instalment payments for GLAS and AEOS to farmers awaiting payment?A. Payments will continue to be processed on an ongoing basis.
Q. When will farmers who made applications in GLAS III receive confirmation of acceptance to the scheme?A. GLAS III application processing is being finalised this week and decision letters will begin issuing when this is complete.
Q. Will the Department make outstanding GLAS I and II payments now to the farmers still awaiting payment of the first instalment?A. The Department is reviewing applications which have not yet passed all required checks and validations. As these cases clear the validations, payment will be made.
Q. Will the Department make outstanding AEOS payments now to farmers still awaiting payment of the first instalment?A. 2016 AEOS payments in excess of €19.2m have now issued to over 6,000 farmers. The most recent payments were issued yesterday (31 January), with just under 350 participants receiving payment totalling in excess of €850,000. Administrative checks are continuing for AEOS I and II schemes, along with AEOS II rechecks for all scheme years. Payments will issue following successful completion of the required checks.
Q. How many farmers partaking in the Organic Farming Scheme are still awaiting payment?A. The figure still awaiting payment is 578.
Q. Will the TAMS II tillage scheme be launched soon?A. It is anticipated that the tillage scheme will be launched in the near future. The development work for the online application system is being finalised currently.
Q. How many approvals have issued for the fourth tranche of TAMS and how many applications were made in that tranche?A. A total of 1,761 applications were received in tranche four of the TAMS II scheme and, to date, 583 approvals have issued.
Q. How long does it take on average from the time a TAMS tranche closes to receive approval to commence work?A. Each application received in a given tranche is checked initially for administrative aspects and then applications go through the ranking and selection process prior to the technical aspects of the application being checked in the local office. There are a number of checks which are required and each application is examined individually. All applications are processed as speedily as possible.
Urea will be available in seven to 10 days
Urea is still very scarce in co-operatives around the country this week. The majority of co-ops have stated that they hope to have urea in stock in the next seven to 10 days. One co-op has confirmed a shipment arriving in the middle of February.
Merchants are predicting urea will range in price from €350 to €362/t. A number of distributors have noted a change in demand with one stating: “The fierce panic that was on for urea over the past few weeks is now gone due to the recent change in the weather, but there is still a demand for the product.”
As regards what fertilisers are currently being sold in co-ops, he said: “It’s a mixture of everything. At the moment, a lot of farmers are coming in matching up soil test results to the suitable fertilisers. In saying this, a lot of the fertiliser that has been sold in the past number of weeks still remains in the bag in farmers’ yards. They’re waiting on the right weather.”
There is little variation in CAN prices across the country, with prices from €240 to €245/t being quoted. Compound fertilisers remain steady, with 18:6:12 prices ranging from €340 to €345/t.
The quantity purchased will contribute to a price difference, with many merchants willing to discount €10 to €20/t for loads over 10t. Some have also said that promptness of payment may also contribute to discounts.
Milk scheme
Farmers who opted to apply for phase one of the Voluntary Supply Management Scheme must have their forms returned to their co-operative by Friday 3 February. Those who applied in September and who were approved would have received a blue form in early January detailing their production over the first phase. Dual suppliers should source the relevant form from their co-operatives, complete them (with the assistance of both co-operatives and purchasers) and return them directly to the Department by 3 February. Co-operatives and milk purchasers will be able to advise producers with any queries they may have. Those who applied under phase two of the scheme (November to January) will receive a form in the post in the coming weeks to be returned to their co-op(s).
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