The highest number of 2022 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications made by this year’s deadline came from Co. Cork.
Of the 128,360 applications received by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) by May 16, almost 10% or 12,813 came from the Rebel County.
This was followed by Co. Galway with 12,112 applications and Mayo with 11,366.
The overall number included 2,209 applications submitted using the temporary reference number facility so they cannot yet be assigned to a county/herd until processed.
The full county-by-county breakdown of BPS applications made by the original deadline is as follows:
County Number of BPS applications Carlow 1,610 Cavan 4,878 Clare 6,102 Cork 12,813 Donegal 8,978 Dublin 613 Galway 12,112 Kerry 7,850 Kildare 2,089 Kilkenny 3,298 Laois 2,866 Leitrim 3,454 Limerick 5,125 Longford 2,427 Louth 1,512 Mayo 11,366 Meath 3,853 Monaghan 4,205 Offaly 2,959 Roscommon 5,698 Sligo 3,962 Tipperary 6,820 Waterford 2,392 Westmeath 3,043 Wexford 3,963 Wicklow 2,163 No Herd Number 2,209 Total 128,360
Along with the 128,360 BPS/Greening applications made by the May 16 deadline, DAFM told Agriland that:
- 120,995 farmers applied for Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC);
- 33,207 applied for Transfer of Entitlements;
- 6,334 applied for the Young Farmers Scheme (YFS);
- 2,505 applied for the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM);
- 2,269 applied for National Reserve (NR);
- 941 applied for the Protein Aid scheme.
The department will write to eligible farmers in June inviting them to apply for the Tillage Incentive Scheme and the Protein/Cereal Mix (50/50) Crop Scheme.
DAFM reminded farmers that amendments to 2022 BPS applications, including the addition of parcels/plots, may be made online up to May 31, 2022, without penalty.
Late amendments with additional parcels/plots or amended claimed areas will be accepted online up to and including June 10, 2022, but a penalty will apply.
Applicants may withdraw land, reduce the claimed area of a parcel or change use from eligible to ineligible, without penalty, at any time after May 31, 2022, provided that:
- The department has not notified the applicant about any issues concerning their 2022 BPS application;
- The applicant have not been notified of an on-the-spot inspection;
- An on-the-spot inspection does not reveal any non-compliances for the parcel(s) concerned;
- An applicant have not been either fully or partially paid under the BPS in respect of 2022.
For farmers who missed the May 16 deadline, there is a 25-calendar day period for the acceptance of late BPS applications and any necessary supporting documentation.
However, deductions to payments at a rate of 1% per day in respect of both BPS/Greening applies to late applications which are received during this period.
The department said that after this period has ended applications will not be accepted, except in cases of force majeure/exceptional circumstances.