Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. today announced that the review of TAMS reference costs has been finalised and the changes proposed have been implemented from the opening of Tranche 23 on 24 July 2021. This review was based on a detailed analysis of the costs of completed works up to end-March 2021.

Minister announces changes to TB rules to allow restricted farmers to move cattle into their herds more easily - Minister welcomes important step

What the Sheep Welfare Scheme is

The Sheep Welfare Scheme provides financial support to farmers for taking extra steps to improve the welfare of their flock. Farmers get €10 per breeding ewe for completing flock welfare measures.

Annual sheep and goat census forms have issued to over 47,000 sheep and goat keepers registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The Department selected Friday 31st December as the 2020 census date. Keepers are required to record the census data on their flock registers. Keepers should be aware that completion and return of the census is a legal obligation.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (with responsibility for Farm Safety), Martin Heydon T.D. and Chief Executive Officer of the Health and Safety Authority, Dr Sharon McGuinness, today jointly launched an on-line Tractor Safety Awareness Training Course, in conjunction with the Irish Farmers Journal. 

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D., announced today the commencement of balancing payments under Year 3 of the Sheep Welfare Scheme.  The Scheme is co-funded by the European Union as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020.

Minister Creed stated, “I am happy to confirm that the issuing of the 15% balancing payments under the Sheep Welfare Scheme has now commenced. This payment amounts to €1.82M, and is a welcome financial support at this time when farmers are facing challenging circumstances.”

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 life cycle of the causative worm, Nematodirus battus, is unlike that of other roundworms in that typically it takes almost a year on pasture before the egg hatches releasing the infective larva. There is a mass hatching of eggs in spring when the soil temperature increases after a period of cold weather and disease typically occurs in April, May and June.

After ingestion by lambs, Nematodirus larvae invade the wall of the intestine. Infection is characterised by profuse diarrhoea, dehydration and weight loss. In outbreak scenarios, lambs can be seen congregating around water troughs due to the severe thirst that develops, while the ewes which are unaffected continue to graze.

This disease is best prevented by keeping the current year’s lambs off pasture that was grazed by lambs or young calves (which can be carriers of infection) in the previous year. Enterprises with high stocking rates are particularly vulnerable. Please note that twin lambs, or single lambs born to ewes of poor milking ability may be at a greater risk of developing disease as they begin consuming greater amounts of grass earlier in life. If ‘clean’ pasture is available, preference should be given to moving these lambs first.

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.

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.

. Payments to the value of approximately €6.1 million have already been made to almost 1,300 farmers, commencing at the end of November. Payments will continue to be made to farmers between now and the end of the year.  

The Minister commented “I am delighted to announce that advance payments commenced ahead of schedule and earlier than last year. The Organic Farming Scheme is one of our most successful schemes under our current Rural Development Programme and it has more than achieved its targets in terms of land converted and maintained for organics.”

The payments to farmers under this scheme mean that since September, DAFM has paid out a total of €1.55 Billion in direct payment to farmers.

The Regional Veterinary Laboratory (RVL) Liver Fluke Abattoir ELISA Survey

Blood samples collected by DAFM staff from a selection of lambs born in 2019 (928 flocks) across 25 counties were tested for the presence of antibodies to liver fluke by the DAFM Laboratory Service to determine the level of exposure of lambs in these flocks. Data from this survey indicates that the majority of infected flocks are from counties on the western seaboard. A particularly large number of positive results were reported from flocks located in Mayo and Donegal. In these counties, exposure to liver fluke was detected in June, while animals in the southwest were apparently not exposed before August. By October, there was evidence of fluke exposure in lambs from the midlands and large parts of Leinster. Please see http://www.animalhealthsurveillance.agriculture.gov.ie/ for further details and maps of test results.

Renaghan is seeking a meeting with the Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle, to address the issue.

The IFA’s organics chairman said: “This is despite these farmers having full organic registration.

The minister has overseen a flawed process with less than a quarter of applicants accepted into the scheme at a time when we are being lectured about the need for farmers to diversify.

“Only 55 applicants out of 225 that applied in November 2018 were eventually accepted into the scheme, despite meeting the obligations of the scheme since they committed to applying.

“These farmers have been contacted advising them that their application was not successful.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, today announced that payments in respect of Year 3 of the Knowledge Transfer Programme have commenced.

The Minister commented “I can confirm that the payments in relation to Year 3 of the Knowledge Transfer Programme have now commenced.  I am pleased to note that these payments are commencing a month earlier than in previous years.”

The Minister added “over the three year lifetime of this programme it has played a central role in helping farmers develop the skills and knowledge which will help them to address sustainability, productivity and competitiveness challenges.  This Programme has also been shown to have significant social benefits for the farming community in addition to providing important financial support.”

Given the structure of the Programme, payments are now rolling out on a sector by sector basis over the coming weeks. Payments for farmers in Equine and Poultry Knowledge Transfer Groups have now issued. Payments for Dairy, Beef, Sheep and Tillage will issue shortly.