The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has today (Wednesday, June 5) announced the commencement of the 15% balancing payments to all eligible farmers under year 1 of the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS).
These balancing payments, worth €2.17 million, bring the total amount paid to over 17,020 farmers under the scheme for 2023 to €21.33 million.
The department issued the initial 85% advance payment to eligible farmers in November 2023.
However, last month it was revealed that there were over 1,400 farmers in the scheme who had yet to receive an advance payment.
Sheep Improvement Scheme
The Sheep Improvement Scheme is funded under Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027, and provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector.
The scheme, which replaced the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS), is co-funded by the DAFM and the EU and the payment rate is €12/ewe.
The department said that the payments under the scheme provide “a significant financial boost to the individual farmers, the sheep sector in general and the wider rural economy”.
A further 286 new entrants joined the SIS earlier this year bringing total participation in the scheme now to 18,940.
When the SIS is combined with this year’s rollout of the National Sheep Welfare Scheme, a total of €20/ewe is available to sheep farmers in 2024.
Any farmers with outstanding queries on the SIS are being urged to respond to the department’s sheep section immediately to facilitate payment.
DAFM will continue to issue payments on an ongoing basis as outstanding queries are resolved.
Farmers have also been reminded to take care and time in carrying out the actions they have selected under both schemes in 2024 and to accurately record them within the Action Record sheets provided by DAFM.
Meanwhile, the National Sheep Welfare Scheme will remain open for late applications, with a penalty being applied, up to June 15, 2024.
Just over 17,000 farmers have already applied to join the scheme which has a budget of €15 million.
Participants are required to complete two actions to receive the full payment of €8/ewe.