Farmers are being reminded that no fewer than four scheme deadlines are set to fall this week, after being recently extended.
The closing date for receipt of claims under the National Liming Programme is tomorrow (Tuesday, November 7).
At the start of October, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue confirmed that farmers would be allowed to spread lime under the programme up to March 31, 2024, due to the wet weather of recent months.
This was provided the lime was paid for and the claim for aid submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) by October 31.
Following that announcement, a significant number of farmers decided to avail of the programme.
However, some quarries began to stop taking orders for lime from farmers as could not guarantee customers would have an invoice marked paid by October 31.
The minister said that he wanted all approved farmers to avail of the scheme and therefore decided to extend the claims deadline by a week to November 7.
Scheme deadlines
Minister McConalogue also announced that the deadline for applications to the Horticulture Crisis Fund (HCF) has been extended to midnight on Wednesday (November 8).
The HCF is a support measure worth €2.3 million that will be provided in the form of a once-off payment to growers of horticulture that are most affected by the continued high level of input costs.
Eligible crop growers include: Brown mushrooms; heated strawberries; field vegetables; field salad crops; apples; vertical farmed greens; and glasshouse high-wire crops.
To avail of the HCF, growers must have a turnover of €50,000 or more, and a minimum of 3ha in production (field vegetables only) to be eligible to apply, and will need to provide production data as part of their application for support.
Payments will be made in January 2024, and eligible applicants will be paid based on the number of hectares in production or the on the weight in kilograms of mushrooms sold.
The department will be accepting applications under phase 2 of the Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme until Friday (November 10).
The scheme aims to provide farmers and their advisors with comprehensive details about the nutrient status, carbon status and indicators of soil health on their farms.
It will also enable better monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at a national and regional level by screening for the presence of E. coli.
The programme has the potential to take 90,000 soil samples from farms all over the country, the full list of eligibility criteria can be found on the DAFM website.
The deadline for submitting applications for payment under the National Farm Safety Measure has also been extended until Friday (November 10).
The scheme provides a financial contribution to participating farmers covering 60% of the eligible cost of a maximum of two quad bike helmets and four power take-off (PTO) shaft covers.
Receipts submitted to the department must confirm that the investments meet the quality standards set out in the terms and conditions of the scheme.
From November 20, it will be mandatory for operators of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs or quads) to undergo training and to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including a helmet, when using such vehicles for work.
Organic Farming Scheme
Meanwhile, the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) opened to new applicants last Friday (November 3), and will remain open until December 8.
Over 2,000 farmers joined the scheme in 2023, doubling the number of organic farms in Ireland.
There are now approximately 180,000ha under organic production in Ireland, representing 4% of total agricultural land.
The Climate Action Plan targets an increase in the area of land under organic production to approximately 445,000ha, or 10% of land, by the end of the decade.