The deadline for returning the Department of Agriculture’s sheep and goat census is fast approaching. All forms must be returned by Friday 29 January.
Back in December 2015, the Department of Agriculture’s sheep and goat census was circulated to 45,000 flock owners registered on its database. The closing date for returning the census by post or through the Department’s online agfood facility is 29 January 2016, and the only acceptable proof of postage is a registered or express post receipt.
Completing and returning the sheep and goat census is a legal obligation that must be carried out even if there are no animals present on that date.
The census is central to establishing stocking rates and is required for payment under schemes such as the Basic Payment Scheme, Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme and the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme.
(Source – Irish Farmers Journal – Amy Nora Fitzgibbon – 25/01/2016)