With the deadline for applications to the National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS) just days away, a significant number of farmers have already applied to qualify for the €8/ewe payment.
Figures provided to Agriland from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) have shown that a total of 10,822 applications to the scheme have been received.
Applications for the scheme must be submitted by the closing date of 11:59p.m on Tuesday, May 21.
There is a 25-calendar day period after the May 21 closing date for the acceptance of late applications and any necessary supporting documentation.
However, deductions to payments at a rate of 1% per working day in respect of the NSWS will apply to late applications which are received during this period.
This late applications period closes on June 15, 2024.
18,523 farmers took part in the first year of the €12/ewe Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS), according to the DAFM.
While both schemes are completely separate, it remains to be seen how many more than the 10,822 current applicants will apply to the NSWS when compared to other sheep schemes.
Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) national sheep chair Adrian Gallagher said that while there is currently a “poor” number of applications, the scheme offers “practical and valuable support to farmers, enhancing flock management and welfare practices” and that “it is important that all sheep farmers participate in the scheme”.
Gallagher has urged all sheep farmers to apply for this support for the sheep sector before the deadline on Tuesday, May 21.
Selecting your scheme actions:
All applicants to the NSWS must select one action from the list of category A actions and one action from the list of category B actions.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that the payment will be per eligible breeding ewe, and payment for full scheme compliance will be €8/ewe (€4/ewe/action completed).
Applicants are asked to choose their actions carefully, as once their application has been submitted, it will not be possible to change their actions over the lifetime of the scheme.
To qualify for participation in the scheme:
- You must have an ovine active DAFM herd number;
- You must be farming a holding in respect of which a valid 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application is submitted to the department, within the required application period;
- You must have breeding ewes recorded on the national sheep census in 2023;
- There are four actions in the scheme and applicants must complete in full two actions, one from each category. Completion of both actions are mandatory for payment.
Applicants who have not submitted a 2023 sheep census return by the February 14, 2024 deadline will not be eligible to apply for the scheme.
The scheme will run from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, however actions selected must be completed by October 15, 2024.
Reductions in payment will apply where not all actions are completed.