The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that 17,167 farmers applied for the National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS) covering almost two million ewes.
The new scheme officially closed for applications at midnight on Tuesday (May 21).
The department said that there is a 25-calendar day period for the acceptance of late applications and any necessary supporting documentation.
However, deductions to payments at a rate of 1% per working day will apply to late applications which are received during this period.
This late applications period closes on June 15, 2024.
Sheep Welfare Scheme
The National Sheep Welfare Scheme complements the multi-annual Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS).
The scheme, which has a budget of €15 million in 2024, is funded under Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan.
It is aimed at assisting farmers to produce better quality animals and implement practical animal welfare measures on their farms.
Participants in the National Sheep Welfare Scheme are required to complete two actions to receive the full payment of up to €8/ewe.
There are four actions in the National Sheep Welfare Scheme and applicants must complete, in full, two actions, one from each category, as follows:
- Category A:
- Shearing, or;
- Body Condition Scoring Ewes and appropriate follow-on management;
- Category B:
- Clostridial vaccination of ewes, or;
- Plunge Dipping to control external parasites.
The scheme will run from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, and actions selected must be completed by the October 15, 2024.
The department reminded farmers that the two actions chosen when applying to join the scheme must be adhered to by the applicant.
INHFA
The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) previously said it had secured changes to two measures under the NSWS.
The farm organisation said that these changes relate to the plunge dipping measure and clostridial vaccine measure.
When the scheme was announced, the INHFA said that the date for completion of the dipping measures would prove difficult for hill sheep farmers.
The INHFA said that, after engagement with DAFM, farmers will be allowed avail of a later completion date for both those actions of November 25, 2024, but they must notify the department before September 15 that they wish to use the later date.
Where farmers do avail of the later completion date, their payment under the scheme will be delayed until the end of December or possibly early January 2025.