Some 2% of farmers have failed inspections under the Fodder Support Scheme, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed.

Farmers over-declaring the amount of hay or silage made this summer was the main reason for failing inspections, the Department told the Irish Farmers Journal.

So far, 1,200 inspections have been carried out by the Department on those farmers across the country who applied for the €100 per hectare payment on hay or silage conserved.

Cases for inspection are selected using a mix of random and risk criteria, similar to other schemes, the Department confirmed.

Maximum

"Inspections are taking place across the whole country and, so far, almost 1,200 have been carried out. This figure is increasing as more inspections are done," the Department said.

The maximum payment a farmer can receive from the scheme is €1,000 and only hay or silage conserved by 5 September 2022 is eligible for inclusion.

The Department failed to confirm where in the country the inspections were carried out.

It was announced in the budget that the scheme will roll over into 2023 and continue to pay farmers up to 10ha of silage or hay conserved.

Up to €30m from next year’s scheme will be forward paid to farmers in December, along with this summer’s scheme payment.