Farmers who are part of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) can now avail of the option to extend their contracts into 2022.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has outlined the details about how participants in the scheme can roll over their contracts during the second of the two transitional years before the new Common Agricultural Policy in 2023.
Letters have issued to farmers who participated in the 2021 transitional BDGP scheme, informing them of the option to extend the contracts by one year.
The process to extend BDGP contracts formally opened yesterday (Thursday, November 18) and will remain open until 5:00p.m on December 20.
“My department has endeavoured to make the process to extend participation as straightforward as possible, with two options available for submission of applications,” the minister explained.
The application to extend may be submitted by logging on to agfood.ie, where the option went live yesterday. This application may be submitted by the participant themselves or by an agent authorised to act on their behalf.
Alternatively, if the farmer or agent does not apply through agfood.ie before Wednesday, December 8, the participant will receive a text message from the department on Friday, December 10 (if they are signed up to receive text messages) asking if they wish to extend their contract.
The options to reply to this text are ‘DAFM Y’ (yes you do want to extend your contract) or ‘DAFM N’ (no you do not want to extend your contract).
The participant or agent will have 72 hours (three days) in which to reply. A confirmation text will then issue in reply if the department has successfully received a response.
Farmers are asked to take note that, by replying ‘DAFM Y’, they are accepting the updated terms and conditions of the scheme, a full copy of which is accessible on the department’s website.
A further text message will issue on December 14 to those who have not opted to extend their contracts using either option, followed by a final text on December 17. The final deadline for all applications is 5:00p.m on December 20.
The minister said: “2022 is the final year of the BDGP before the commencement of Suckler Carbon Efficiency Scheme in 2023 as part of the next CAP… I was delighted to be able to secure funding in Budget 2022, to ensure we could continue crucial farm schemes such as the BDGP.
“I am committed to supporting the suckler sector as it is critical to the overall success of our agri-food industry,” he concluded.