IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden reminded farmers that tomorrow is the deadline to apply for the BDGP Scheme for 2021.
He said farmers can apply by responding to the text they received from DAFM, or online at Agfood.ie.
The IFA Livestock Chairman said there has been a very strong response in the last few days, with 17,000 farmers out of the almost 21,000 farmers who have been contacted, responding.
“This is a crucial scheme for suckler farmers and it’s imperative that the Minister and the Department of Agriculture include all farmers who want to continue in the scheme,” he said.
He said despite the strong response, issues remain for some farmers in trying to apply and as a result, they may miss the deadline.
The IFA Livestock Chairman said no farmer can be left out of the scheme because of technical issues, and flexibility must be provided to the deadline in these cases.
Brendan Golden also pointed out that there is a cohort of farmers who participated throughout the the scheme, but due to unforeseen circumstances, they did not qualify for payment last year. These farmers must be provided with the opportunity to join the scheme for 2021.
