The online system for applications under Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is due to open in the coming days.
This application is the key to payments under all of the schemes run by the Department of Agriculture.
This year, farmers who are in GLAS will not receive a BPS application form. They will receive maps of the land that they declared in 2015 in the post but there will be no paper application form.
They must make their BPS application online.
According to the Department, under EU regulations, Member States are required to move towards greater levels of online applications which will facilitate fewer errors and speedier processing.
Last year farm partnerships, farmers in the Organic Farming Scheme, and farmers with a requirement under Greening were migrated to online BPS application.
As a continuation of this process, the Department says GLAS farmers are being migrated to online BPS application in 2016 as all GLAS applications are already made online.
The number of farmers making their applications online, either themselves or through their advisor continues to rise, it reached almost 60% in 2014 and just shy of 70% in 2015.
Some commentators suggest that paper applications will cease for all farmers by 2018 or 2019 at the latest.
While farmers and advisors will get an extra day to complete applications this year (May 15th is a Sunday so the closing date is extended until Monday the 16th of May) do not delay, contact your advisor as soon as possible and get the process started.
The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) was introduced in 2015 as part of the new measures agreed in the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The BPS has replaced the Single Payment Scheme (SPS).
As direct payments from 2015 may take the form of four distinct schemes, the payment that a farmer receives under the new Direct Payments system is no longer a ‘single payment’ but may be a combination of payment under four separate schemes.
Basic Payment Scheme includes:
- Payment for Agricultural Practices beneficial for the Climate and the EnvironmentGreening
- Payment
- Young Farmers Scheme
- Aid for Protein Crops
All eligible farmers will receive a payment under the BPS and a Greening Payment while some farmers may also qualify for a further payment under the Young Farmers Scheme or under the Aid for Protein Crop Scheme.