Schemes update: Payments commence and schemes open to applications
A number of important announcements were made over recent days relating to scheme payments and the opening of various schemes, such as the Organic Farming Scheme.
BISS, CRISS and ANC
Earlier this week, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. announced the commencement of advance payments under the 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS). Minister McConalogue said that 70% advance payment under both, worth over €506 million to 110,186 farmers, had commenced on October 16 and would be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days. This represents payments to 93% of applicants.
For those awaiting payments, Minister McConalogue said: “The department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria. I would urge any farmers with outstanding requests for documentation from the department to return to allow payments to issue.”
Payments under the 2024 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC), which commenced last month, are also continuing as more cases are cleared for payment and 2024 payments under the Eco-Scheme will commence from next week.
Fodder Transport Support Measure
Additionally, on Thursday, October 17, Minister McConalogue announced the commencement of payments under the Fodder Transport Support Measure, which supported the movement of 48,132 bales and 19,114 tonnes of fodder following weather challenges arising last spring.
Making the announcement, Minister McConalogue said: “I’m pleased to announce that payments will issue to co-operatives in the coming days and these payments will then be passed onto farmers who applied for and have been accepted into the scheme. I would like to thank the co-operatives for working with my Department to ensure that farmers were supported at a difficult time.”
A total of 24 co-operatives participated in the scheme, and payments totalling €2.1 million will issue to 669 farmers through their co-ops in the coming days.
Organic Farming Scheme
The opening of the Organic Farming Scheme and the Organic Processing Investment Grant was also confirmed by Minister McConalogue and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Senator Pippa Hackett on Wednesday, October 16.
The Organic Farming Scheme is an agri-environment measure under Ireland’s 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan. Drystock farmers entering into a contract could qualify for yearly payments of up to €300 per hectare during the conversion period, and up to €250 per hectare when they have achieved full organic status. Higher payment rates are available for organic horticultural and tillage farmers. In addition, a participation payment of €2,000 in the first year of conversion and €1,400 per annum thereafter has been introduced to support organic farmers.
Commenting on the Organic Farming Scheme, Minister McConalogue said that it “provides the vehicle for those interested in organic farming to do so”.
“Support comes not only in the form of very attractive scheme payments, but also through funding for promotion to drive increased consumer sales volumes. This will also be important to reach our ambition of more than trebling the wholesale value of Irish organic output, to €750 million, by 2030,” he said.
Describing the opening as a significant milestone, Minister Hackett said: “The reopening of the Organic Farming Scheme will allow us to support even more farmers to produce food in a way that is good for climate, nature and water quality, while the Organic Processing Investment Grant Scheme will add value to that organic food further down the supply chain, ultimately helping to improve farm gate prices.”
Both schemes will remain open until 29th November 2024. Applicants from the dairy, horticultural and tillage sectors will receive priority access to the Organic Farming Scheme, the department notes.
Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme
Minister McConalogue and Minister Hackett also announced the opening of the third phase of the Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme on October 17. This programme has the potential to take an estimated 40,000 additional samples from farms all over the country, and will cover the cost of up to 16 individual soil samples for nutrient analysis, soil acidity, organic matter content and one test for surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) per farm.
With a closing date of the 6th of November 2024, applications can now be made on agfood.ie.