Beef genomics scheme deadline extended

THE Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, has announced that the deadline for applications under the Beef Data and Genomics (BDGP) Scheme is being extended until Friday, June 5.

Said the minister: “As of yesterday morning, we had almost 15,000 applicants for the programme. The rate of application is increasing, and I want to give as many farmers as possible the opportunity to apply for this excellent scheme.”

The minister also underlined the flexibility available to BDGP applicants who dispose of some or all of their land before the termination of the six-year contract term.

He explained: “Firstly, it is the case that the vast majority of farmers have significantly more land than they need to attract the full payment under the programme, and therefore no problem should arise from the sale or lease of some of their land in such circumstances.

“Subject to normal terms and conditions, where a farmer disposes of land, whether by sale, lease, gift or inheritance, the transferee may take on the obligations of the transferor under the programme. Alternatively these obligations may expire, with no clawback of the funding received up to that point.

“The commitments will not, of course, be considered to have expired where the participant retains sufficient land to fulfil his obligations under the programme.”

ICSA president Patrick Kent has welcomed this morning’s announcement of the one-week extension to the closing date.

“ICSA lobbied strongly for this extension at our meeting with the department last Friday, and we are pleased to see that our concerns and the concerns of our members were taken on board,” he said.

“The extension is a recognition that there simply hasn’t been enough time given to fully explaining the scheme and its possible ramifications to farmers. We are now asking Minister Coveney to use this extra time to resolve all outstanding concerns which are preventing farmers from applying, particularly the six-year contract, issues around star-ratings and unannounced inspections.”