Following the announcement by the EU Agriculture Commissioner that CAP deadlines would be extended, the Department of Agriculture is seeking clarification that this could apply to GLAS in Ireland.
This is following Commissioner Hogan’s announcement that he is considering extending the period for submission of applications under the CAP, which is currently 15 May, following requests from Members States, including Ireland.
The Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has asked the Commission if the extension will apply to both Pillar I and crucially Pillar II schemes which includes the much publicised GLAS.
It is understood the Department is still waiting clarification on whether the GLAS deadline will be affected and possibly pushed back.
The April 30 deadline for submission of GLAS applications has been criticised by many agricultural planners who said it was too tight a window from when the scheme was opened.
Speaking to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture recently in relation to the deadline, Teagasc Director Gerry Boyle said Teagasc anticipated a much longer longer planning period.
Boyle said that the “deadline is very challenging”.
Approximately 30,000 farmers are expected, by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to apply for the scheme this year before the deadline of April 30.
The April 30 deadline leaves just five weeks for farmers and planners to submit plans for a possible 30,000 farmers.