The Department of Agriculture’s sheep and goat census forms have been issued to 49,000 farmers, who have a legal obligation to complete and return the forms.

Sunday 31 December 2023 is to be the census date and census data must also be recorded in flock books.

Failure to complete and return the census before the deadline could impact payments under farm schemes, as the figures are used to determine farm stocking rates and eligibility.

Postal returns must be received by the Department by 31 January 2024, with the onus on farmers to have returns delivered by this deadline.

A registered post receipt will be the only acceptable proof of postage in the case of dispute regarding postal returns. Hand delivery to a Department office is not permitted.

Choice

For the first time, farmers will have the choice of submitting their census returns using the new AIM Services mobile app, which can be downloaded on to a mobile device and accessed with agfood.ie login details.

This is in addition to farmers having the option of submitting returns online via agfood.ie.

Both the online and app option will see an extended deadline of 14 February 2024 apply.

The benefits of submitting online include no postal cost, the ability to view census history and peace of mind that details have been received successfully, the Department has advised.