The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has today advised farmers of two important opportunities regarding corrections to their 2026 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based scheme applications.

The first of these are preliminary checks which will identify any over-claims, overlaps or dual claims.

Notifications are issued where the department finds such an error on the farmer’s 2026 BISS application.

For 2026, approximately 4,600 herds will receive a preliminary check notification.

Where a farmer or advisor receives a preliminary check notification, they should log onto their MyAgFood account and respond on or before June 22.

Secondly, notifications relating to the Area Monitoring System (AMS) are due to begin from June 24 for a minority of farmers.

The first round of AMS notifications is for the potential presence of artificial surfaces in land parcels; for example, buildings, farmyard extensions and farm roadways.

Farmers or their advisor will have 14 days from the notification date to respond to the AMS notification.

Further rounds of AMS notifications will issue from July 2026 onwards.

These preliminary checks and AMS notifications allow the farmer the opportunity to rectify issues with their BISS and other area-based scheme applications, without penalty.

Farmers and advisors are encouraged to check the correspondence section of their MyAgFood account.

Where a farmer is signed up for text message alerts, a text will issue to advise them that they have a notification on their account.

BISS

Last month, the department confirmed that 122,151 farmers applied online for the 2026 BISS and other area-based schemes before the May 15 deadline.

The area-based application includes a range of schemes under Pillar I of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including the Eco Scheme, Complementary Redistribution Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF), Protein Aid, Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), and Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC).

The application window also catered for annual claims under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).

The application figures include 2,902 Temporary Reference Number applications; applications where no BISS entitlements are held (if applicable); and applications without any claimed area.

Applications will be subject to administrative checks to determine eligibility.

There were also 34,359 applications received for transfer of entitlements.