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The IFA is calling for an extension to the deadline for farmers to indicate their interest in continuing in the BDGP scheme, as response rates remain static around the 50% mark.
As the Friday 15 January deadline looms, IFA national livestock chair Brendan Golden said every effort must be made to give all participating farmers the opportunity to continue.
To date, 55% of eligible farmers have responded and, of those, 98% have opted to continue in the scheme.
Golden said the response rate was worrying.
Payments to farmers who have yet to respond are worth in the region of €20m annually, according to Irish Farmers Journal analysis.
Difficulties
“Large numbers of farmers are reporting difficulties in responding to the Department of Agriculture text to renew participation in the scheme and it is critical that every farmer who wants to participate for 2021 is included,” Golden said.
He said the difficulties must be taken on board to ensure all farmers who wish to continue in the scheme are allowed to do so.
Golden reminded farmers the deadline to reapply to the scheme remains Friday 15 January.
He said reapplying can be done by responding to the text received from the Department of Agriculture or preferably online at www.agfood.ie.
The IFA is calling for flexibility with the deadline to ensure all farmers are facilitated.
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