There have been almost 70,000 applications for the Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) since the application process opened on February 21.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed that, as of last night, Monday, April 20, there have been 68,835 applications.
The current number of applications is over 7,000 ahead of the number of applications at the same date last year.
As of April 20 last year, 61,281 applications were made for the 2019 BPS. The applications process last year began one day earlier, on February 20. There have been 7,554 more application this year as of yesterday.
The closing date for applications is Friday, May 15.
Nitrates Derogation
In other department-related news, a final reminder was issued yesterday that the closing date for applications under the 2020 Nitrates Derogation is this Friday, April 24.
The department is advising farmers to contact their agricultural advisor to determine if they should avail of the facility.
The department is also reminding farmers that applications for the Nitrates Derogation should be made online.
The end of year Nitrogen and Phosphorus Statements (N and P Statements) for 2019 are available on the department’s online system at: www.agfood.ie.
Farmers who are not already registered on agfood.ie can log on and click the ‘Register’ button.
Department staff
The department has also paid tribute to the frontline staff involved in facilitating exports during the current Covid-19 situation.
In a statement yesterday, the department noted that its staff “has worked both domestically and internationally, to support agriculture through this most difficult of periods”.
“In circumstances where many parts of the economy are necessarily in lockdown, the work that these people do ensures that the regulatory and administrative functions required to keep food processors up and running; to facilitate livestock sales; and to keep live exports moving, continues,” the department’s statement noted.