Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, has encouraged eligible beef farmers to apply for the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) scheme, warning that the number of farmers applying will determine if the full €100 million fund is expended.
Speaking to AgriLand at the launch of the 2019 National Ploughing Championships in Fenagh, Co. Carlow, this morning, Wednesday, September 4, the minister explained his decision to extend the closing date for the scheme.
Commenting, Minister Creed said: “There was a week left to go and it is standard procedure that there’s an avalanche of applications to come in; but we did feel in the current context that maybe people weren’t sufficiently focused on it.
“So, apart from extending the deadline, we’re going to hold a number of road shows as well to try and increase the number of applications.
We want this to be a €100 million scheme – but that is contingent on farmers applying.
“If farmers apply in lesser numbers, it will be less than €100 million – so I would urge everyone who is eligible to apply,” the minister added.
The department offices in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, will have a team available to meet with farmers every weekday from now until the BEAM closing date.