A repeat webinar, organised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, on useful pointers for meeting the requirements of the Young Farmers’ Scheme has been arranged for tomorrow, Thursday (October 22), at 8:00pm.
The Young Farmers’ Scheme is a payment made to farmers under the age of 40 who are educated in agriculture to help them succeed in farming. It can be paid for up to five years.
The webinar is aimed at applicants themselves and will cover the key scheme requirements and give helpful tips on passing the inspection stage of the application.
- Participating in the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in the year in which the application is submitted;
- No more than 40 years-of-age at any time during the calendar year in which an application is submitted under the BPS;
- Finished a recognised course of education in agriculture achieving an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalent (such as the Green Cert);
- Setting up an agricultural holding for the first time or have set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of BPS;
- If farming as part of a group, for example a partnership or a company, the group may be eligible for the scheme if the young farmer solely or jointly controls decisions on the management, benefits and financial risks of the group.
The Young Farmers’ Scheme payment is calculated as 25% of the national average payment per hectare multiplied by the number of eligible hectares up to a maximum of 50.
Applicants can also authorise an agricultural consultant or Teagasc advisor to apply on their behalf.
Young farmers can register for the webinar in advance.