Farmers will receive the details of their Basic Payment Scheme ‘shortly’ according to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.
The Definitive Statement of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) Entitlements outlines the number and value of entitlements allocated to them under the Basic Payment Scheme from 2015 to 2019.
Ireland receives an amount of EU funding of some €1.2bn annually for distribution under Direct Payment schemes for the period 2015 to 2019.
The Basic Payment Scheme and Greening Payment replaced the Single Payment Scheme at the end of 2014 and a new set of BPS entitlements has been allocated to all eligible applicants under the scheme.
The number of BPS entitlements allocated was determined by the number of eligible hectares declared by a farmer in 2013 or 2015, whichever was the lesser, and the value of entitlements allocated was based on a fixed percentage of the value of Single Payment Scheme entitlements owned by the farmer in 2014 and any payment received under the 2014 Grassland Sheep Scheme.
All entitlements are subject to a process of internal convergence whereby all farmers whose entitlements are below the national average unit value will see their entitlements converge upwards on a phased basis to reach at least 60% of the national average unit value of entitlements by 2019.
This increase is funded by a gradual reduction in the value of entitlements for those farmers whose entitlement unit value is in excess of the national average. The national average unit value of entitlements is €184.
The Definitive Statement of Entitlements that will issue to each farmer sets out the convergence path of their entitlement values over the course of the scheme from 2015 to 2019 and their estimated overall payment including the Greening payment.
The Minister added, “this is important information which will allow farmers to be aware of the income support available to them and to be able to plan accordingly.”
Minister Creed said the Statement of Entitlements will provide clarity for farmers on the number and value of their Basic Payment Scheme entitlements from 2015 to 2019.