A total of 950 applications were made for the Baling Assistance Payment (BAP) in 2024, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has told the Irish Farmers Journal.

The BAP was announced on 25 July, after Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue did a U-turn on cancelling the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM).

The payment of €175/ha was introduced to encourage farmers to pull out of the SIM and bale straw to alleviate fodder shortages.

Anyone who had applied to chop cereal straw under the SIM in 2024 was eligible to take crops out of the SIM and apply for the BAP on those crops.

Applicants were required to provide geotagged photos of the baled straw in the parcels they were applying for the BAP.

Payments

The Department has told the Irish Farmers Journal that processing of the applications, which includes the validation of geotagged photos, is ongoing.

Payments to farmers are expected to be issued in early 2025 and final figures on applications and areas under the scheme will be available nearer to the time.

Payments under the SIM are due to commence on 11 December.

Before the introduction of the BAP a total of 44,123ha of cereal straw were down for chopping under the scheme, while 12,020ha of oilseed rape were applied for.