Deadline for submission of lime receipts upcoming

The one-week extension to the closing date for receipt claims under the National Liming Programme will come to a close this week.

To qualify for aid under the scheme, which offers a subsidy of €16/t of calcium ground limestone or magnesium ground limestone delivered and spread, invoices marked as paid must be submitted by midnight on November 7.

Additionally, as wet weather over the summer and autumn significantly diminished many farmers’ opportunities to spread lime this year, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced that, provided an invoice marked paid was submitted with the payment claim, the lime could be delivered and spread up to March 31, 2024.

For farmers who avail of the extended spreading deadline, further checks will be carried out in spring 2024 to verify that lime has been spread. This would involve additional documentation being requested from the farmer showing that lime has been delivered.

When announcing the extension to the submission date, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said: “Given the environmental benefits associated with the application of lime to correct soil pH, I want to ensure all approved farmers can avail of this scheme and purchase lime.” He also noted that no additional deadline extensions for receipt of payment claims will be granted as farmer payments have to made from the scheme's 2023 budget. 

Click here to see the full terms and conditions of the National Liming Programme.