Arrangements are on target to facilitate payment of the advance of 70% of the Basic Payment Scheme with effect from October 16 with balancing payments issuing from December 1.
Young Farmers Scheme
Included in a suite of measures under the new CAP reform which comes into force this year Ireland is the Young Farmers Scheme the purpose of which is to encourage the participation of young farmers in agriculture.
It will include a mandatory top-up on direct payments in the first years of farming. In the CAP agreement in June 2013 a provision for up to 2% of funds in pillar 1 for provided for a mandatory 25% top up on Single Farm Payment for new entrant young farmers under 40 years for their first five years of installation.
The Department says the measure is designed for young farmers to assist them in establishing their farm business and to address the age profile in the sector.
National Reserve
Also in 2015 successful applicants under the National Reserve will be eligible for an allocation of entitlements on land for which they hold no entitlements and/or a top up to the value of existing entitlements held by them, where such entitlements have a value below the National Average.
As many as 6,000 applications have been made to the National Reserve, according to the Department of Agriculture.
ANC
According to the Department of Agriculture payments, for the Areas of Natural Constraints scheme worth some €117m, are issuing on target.
The Minister confirmed that payments will continue to issue as individual cases are confirmed eligible for payment. It is expected that in the region of 57,000 eligible farmers will receive their payments in the coming days.