ASF which is a deadly disease of pigs and wild boar was confirmed yesterday (10/09/2020) in the eastern area of Spree-Neisse within a few kilometres of the Polish border. ASF virus, which is highly fatal for pigs and wild boar, does not affect humans and poses no food safety risk. Reports to date indicate that the infection involves a single wild boar which was found dead and there have been no reports of the disease in domestic pigs in Germany. The Department has confirmed that there has been no importation of live pigs from Germany into Ireland this year to date.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dara Calleary T.D., today announced the opening of the Beef Finisher Payment (BFP). The scheme is a one off, exchequer funded grant aid scheme under the Covid19 State Aid Temporary Framework with funding totalling €50M. The objective of BFP is to provide support for beef finishing farms in Ireland which have been severely impacted by the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dara Calleary T.D., today announced details of the Beef Finishers Payment (BFP), an Exchequer funded scheme of €50 million to provide income support for up to 42,000 farmers with beef finishing enterprises, who have been impacted by the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister Calleary stated “I am fully aware of the difficulties caused by Covid-19 in the Irish beef sector and the consequences for those in beef farming and for the rural economy as a whole. Farmers with finished animals suffered from both reduced prices and other restrictions in getting animals to market. The closure of the food service market in Ireland, the UK and beyond has had a dramatic impact on the industry and in particular those who supply it to make their living.”

This Circular extends the submission date of the 2019 Rare Breed declaration form & record sheet along with the required documentation from the 31st May 2020 to the 31st July 2020 in light of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Any farmer that is getting paid in GLAS for keeping rare breeds must ensure that their paperwork for 2019 is submitted before the 31^st of July 2020. This is an extension to the original submission date and it won’t be extended again.

If you don’t have your paperwork submitted by this date you will be rejected from this action in GLAS plan and all money that was received by the farmer under this measure will be recouped in full.

This situation can get even worse if this action was the action that was used to gain a farmer entry into the scheme then the farmer will also be rejected out of the GLAS scheme. This will result in a total clawback of all money received in the GLAS scheme.

Obligations of the Programme

There are a number of actions in the Programme, with action one being compulsory.

Applicants then also have the option to choose action 2, and/or action3.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D today reminded farmers that the deadline to submit their 2020 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Beef Environmental Efficiency

Programme – Suckler (BEEP-S) applications online is Friday 15 May. The rate of submission of applications for 2020 BPS continues to be significantly ahead of last year’s rate and the BEEP-S applications are going well also.

The Department has been assisting farmers in making their applications in recent weeks through its telephone helpdesk services.  The Minister announced that this Lo-call telephone service will be available to farmers for extended hours in the run up to the deadline.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D., today reminded farmers and their advisors that the online  application process for both the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme - Suckler (BEEP-S) for 2020 and the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is open until 15 May 2020.  Suckler farmers should ensure that they apply for the BEEP-S programme in time so as to ensure that they get the full benefits  of this new  Programme. 

The Department will also be implementing its own business continuity plan to maintain essential services. This means that the Department is taking all of the precautions necessary to protect its staff and its clients, consistent with HSE advice, but is remaining open for business, prioritising the delivery of essential services to farmers, fishermen and the food and forestry sectors. 

The Department is taking necessary steps to ensure:

• that producers and processors can continue to operate effectively and keep supply lines open
• that the Department can operate as effectively as possible during the current pandemic.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are reminding farmers that 2020 Nitrates Derogation applications can now be submitted online. The closing date for applications is 8 April 2020.

Farmers are advised to contact their agricultural advisor to determine if they should avail of this facility. More information is available on the Department’s website at the following link: https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/ruralenvironmentsustainability/environmentalobligations/nitrates/nitratesderogation/2020nitratesderogation/

Farmers who applied for a Derogation in 2019 are reminded that they must submit Fertiliser Accounts by 8 April 2020 also.

End of year Nitrogen and Phosphorus statements (N&P statements) for 2019 are available on the Department’s online system www.agfood.ie.

Farmers not already registered for agfood.ie can do so by logging onto www.agfood.ie and clicking the 'Register' button.

Over the coming days, farmers will be receiving a BPS information pack in the post containing terms and conditions of the scheme as well as maps and land details. 

This information will assist farmers in making their online application. The closing date for BPS applications in 2020 is Friday 15^th May.  Farmers and advisors are urged to avail of the early opening of the application process now rather than waiting until nearer the closing date.

As in recent years, the Department will be providing a range of supports for farmers to ensure that they are in a position to apply for these important payments.  Details in relation to this will be available shortly.

All elements of the Direct Payments Schemes (BPS, Greening, Young Farmers Scheme, National Reserve, Transfer of Entitlements, and the Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme) are now online.  This helps to ensure that the Department can process all applications under these schemes as efficiently as possible.

Over 6,800 intensively stocked farmers availed of the derogation in 2019.

The 2020 Nitrates Derogation Terms & Conditions include the full list of recommendations put forward by the Expert Review Group who proposed additional conditions for those farming in derogation that support the multiple objectives of a competitive agriculture sector whilst minimising negative impacts on water quality. This review was carried out jointly in 2019 by experts from the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, the Department of Housing Planning & Local Government, Teagasc and the EPA and proposed recommendations that were accepted by both Ministers.  The Nitrates Derogation is contingent on meeting water quality standards, and these additional measures, included now in the requirements of the 2020 scheme are designed to provide added protections to water quality. 

Applications must be submitted using the online system which is aimed at simplifying the application process and assisting farmers to avoid penalties. Farmers can also remain compliant with the Regulations by managing their livestock to farm below the limits, exporting enough slurry/farmyard manure or renting additional land but these farmers are also subject to additional requirements this year.

Over 6,800 farmers availed of the derogation in 2019.

In order to prevent waters from being polluted by nitrogen and phosphorus, the Regulations say that you must do the following

• You must spread livestock manure and other organic fertilisers, effluents and soiled water as accurately and as evenly as you can.
• You must not use an upward-facing splash plate or sludge irrigator on a tanker or umbilical system for spreading organic fertiliser or soiled water.
• You must not spread organic fertilisers or soiled water from a road or passageway, even if the road or passageway is on your own holding.
• You must not spread chemical fertilisers, livestock manure, soiled water or other organic fertilisers when: -

1. The land is waterlogged; -
2. The land is flooded, or it is likely to flood; -
3. The land is frozen, or covered with snow; -
4. Heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours (you must check the forecasts from Met Éireann).

Minister Creed said, “this initiative is one of a series of measures being put in place by stakeholders in advance of the Spring calving season with a view to ensuring the highest possible calf welfare outcomes”.

The Minister confirmed that he was making €1.5 million available in order to fund the scheme.

The primary investment focus in on supporting calf feeding systems such as computerised calf feeders, milk carts with mixer included and calf teat feeders. When a farmer purchases one of these items, they will also be eligible to receive support for the purchase of other items, such as calf milk heaters, calf forage/hay racks, calf meal troughs, calf feed barriers and calf pen dividers.

The Minister said that the minimum investment required is €1,000 ex. VAT, while the maximum investment being proposed will be €7,500 ex. VAT. A 40% grant aid will apply to applications meeting all the terms and conditions of the scheme. (In the event of over-subscription this figure may be reduced). Minister Creed confirmed that applications will open on 7^th January 2020. Terms and conditions and the relevant specifications will be available on the DAFM website.

Minister Creed expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing progress being made in the eradication of BVD.  The Minister noted that substantial savings were being achieved by farmers, with the incidence of PIs reducing in 2019 to just 0.04% from 0.66% in 2013 – the first year of the compulsory phase of the Eradication Programme.

He said “the DAFM supports were helping the eradication effort and will be further enhanced by the proposed amendment to the existing regulations coming into effect in early 2020 whereby it will now be a legal requirement for all animals born on or before 1 January 2013 to have a known BVD 

The Minister stated, “This further, very significant level of payments to farmers in the beef sector under BEAM represents clear recognition by my Department, the Government and the EU of the very challenging and difficult climate that these farmers have had to face in recent years.  These payments are in addition to some €15.4 million under BEEP and €34.4 million in BDGP payments that have already issued in recent weeks, making a total of €125 million to Irish beef farmers. Since September a total of €1.72 billion has now been paid out to Ireland’s farmers under a range of schemes operated by my Department.”

BEAM payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as more famers are verified as compliant with the requirements of the Measure.