As the end of the first year of the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) approaches, a total of 16,847 farmers received advance payments under the scheme.
These 85% advance payments worth €19 million were issued to farmers the week beginning Monday, November 20.
The 15% of balancing payments are due to commence in May 2024.
These payments in May will conclude the €12/ewe payment under the scheme, which will be replaced by the €20/ewe payment that was announced for Budget 2024.
In response to a question from Sinn Féin TD, Claire Kerrane on how many farmers had received the first payment, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said payments were continuing “to issue as applicants meet the scheme requirements”.
The raising of the ewe payments in Budget 2024, will influence the incomes on Irish sheep farms, as Teagasc has predicted that the net margin/ha for the average sheep enterprise is expected to increase in 2024 to €263/ha, a 42% percent increase on the 2023 net margin of €186/ha.
The average income on sheep farms in 2024 is forecast to increase by 8% on 2023, bringing the average income to about €18,300 (up from €17,000 this year).
Sheep Improvement Scheme
In order for farmers to quality for the scheme, they must:
- Submit a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application for each year of scheme participation;
- Submit a sheep census return for each year during the lifetime of the scheme – an exception is made for new entrants in year of entry;
- Have an active herd number – or be a new entrant – and keep breeding ewes;
- Maintain the required number of breeding ewes during the scheme.
In order to quality for payment, farmers must complete two welfare measures.
A list of what measures both lowland and hill flocks can undertake for the scheme are provided in the table below.
All applicants will be required to carry out the Genotyped Ram action within the first three years of SIS participation.