Payments to farmers under year two of the Sheep Welfare Scheme are due to hit accounts by the end of November, a Department of Agriculture spokesperson has told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Balancing payments for year two are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2019.

Payment schedule

This is in line with the payment schedule which was in place for year one of the scheme, the spokesperson said.

There are over 20,000 farmers involved in the scheme, which is worth €25m.

The scheme is to run until 2020 and, upon complying with the terms and conditions of the scheme, farmers will receive €10/ewe.

Under the scheme, the two primary tasks chosen by farmers are pregnancy scanning and mineral supplementation of ewes post-mating.

In September, desk inspections under the scheme began, with a number of farmers asked to send their 2018 scheme action record book and any other relevant documentation to the Department of Agriculture as part of an administrative check.

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Sheep Welfare Scheme and mineral supplementation post-mating