The new Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), which replaces the Basic Payment Scheme in the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, opened for applications on 28 February 2023.

There is a new portal available on agfood.ie and this can be accessed from the homepage through the BISS heading.

The opening of the BISS also appears to deliver the latest update for farmers who applied to the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

The Irish Farmers Journal spoke on Tuesday evening to a number of farmers and advisers and all farmers have received the same message when attempting to start their 2023 BISS application.

The message reads: “Your ACRES information is currently being updated. The process will be completed shortly and you will be able to access your application then.”

There were approximately 46,000 applications submitted to ACRES during the first intake in 2022, over 50% more than the initial allocation of 30,000 places.

ACRES-related delays

The Department of Agriculture has previously stated that the high number of applications submitted is responsible for the delay in informing farmers whether or not their application was successful.

This is due, in part, to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue repeatedly stating that he was doing all within his power to increase the number of applications to get as many of the 46,000 applications accepted in to the scheme in 2023.

The Department of Agriculture has also stated that this has had knock-on consequences in delaying the opening of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme and the BISS.

On the latter point, it has been highlighted that ACRES has delayed the opening of BISS because successful applicants to ACRES require maps and land parcel information to be updated to take account of ACRES measures.

Positive signal

The messages received by farmers do not confirm if a farmer is being accepted in to ACRES, but many farmers are taking it as a positive signal that their application will be successful.

It is possible that farmers may have to wait a little longer to receive confirmation, based on correspondence issued by the Department on Tuesday evening to advisers.

This states “there are some categories that haven’t opened yet but will open over the coming weeks such as Partnerships and ACRES applicants. As approval letters begin to issue for ACRES applicants they will have access to the BISS application.”

Significant changes

There are several more important changes to the BISS.

The previous closing date of 15 May is now being extended to 29 May, presumably to take account of the later than envisaged opening date and also to give farmers the maximum time available to come to terms with the new application process.

Entitlements

A number of farmers in contact with the Irish Farmers Journal are querying their entitlements position.

This is due to the fact that when farmers click on the tab “entitlements position” they are brought through to another interface but there is no information available.

It appears that farmers will have to wait a number of weeks to receive this information, with the correspondence issued to FAS advisers stating: “The online system for transferring Payment Entitlements, applying for the National Reserve (Young Farmer and New Entrant) and the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (the new Young Farmers’ Scheme) will open in mid-March 2023. All farmers will also be notified over the coming weeks of the value of their payment entitlements.”

Delayed access

The new BISS portal has replaced the pre-existing direct payments portal which provided farmers with historical data regarding their BPS applications.

The Department is working on updating its IT system to make this information available as soon as possible.

Its correspondence to advisers states: “Throughout the application period new features will be added such as previous year’s correspondence, amendments, previous year’s applications facility, temporary reference number applications, stocking rate panel and others. We appreciate that access to previous years correspondence is a priority for advisers and we are working towards a solution as a matter of urgency.”

The new portal also details preliminary space for nature and GAEC 8 estimates which are important factors in satisfying conditionality and eco-scheme requirements.

Farmers, or their advisers, are required to check that these estimates are accurate and correct any features incorrectly included or omitted. The Department’s system will update as these changes are made.

The land details screen, as in other years, will present the applicant with the most up-to-date version of land parcel information that the Department holds at the time of opening.

The new portal also includes stocking rate information which is important for schemes such as eco schemes and the Areas of Natural Constraint.

It is also an important determinant in farmers satisfying the new active farmer status.