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There are currently 10,000 GLAS applicants who are not eligible for payment, according to figures obtained from the Department of Agriculture.
With more than 50,000 farmers currently in GLAS, this means that 20% of farmers are ineligible for payment.
The main issue holding up the advance payment to 4,000 GLAS participants is that the commonage management plan requirements have not been met by participants’ commonage advisers. The Department urges that “relevant applicants should contact their commonage adviser”.
Nutrient management plans (NMPs) are also an issue, according to the Department: “There are still some 2,800 outstanding NMPs in respect of GLAS I and II participants and applicants should contact their advisers directly to have these submitted.”
This leaves 3,200 who are ineligible due to the non-submission of a 2017 BPS application, rare breed forms that are outstanding and applicants who have yet to submit, or have submitted incorrectly, their annual low-emission slurry spreading declaration form.
Issues with BPS maps
However, the information coming from advisers on the ground is different. Advisers are pointing towards issues with Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) maps as one of the main reasons holding up payments.
“We understand that one of the main issues holding up payments is with BPS maps,” said Laura Johnson from the Agricultural Consultants Association.
“We are getting letters back saying that boundaries in fields have moved where they have not, for example.”
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