Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that a number of in-person training events under the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) will be held later this summer.
At the end of April, the minister confirmed that online training courses would take place. However, concerns were raised that some farmers, especially those in an older age cohort and those with poor internet connections, would struggle to complete that online training.
While saying that the online option has “significant advantages” for SCEP participants, the minister acknowledged that, for some farmers, online access could be problematic.
He said: “I do not want any farmer disenfranchised in relation to this important training.
“I recognise that there are some SCEP participants who may not have internet connectivity or the support to access [training] and therefore I am confirming that my department will hold a number of in-person SCEP training events later in the summer.
“While I am providing an in-person option, the expectation is that online training will be preferential for the majority of participants given it will be available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week,” the minister added.
According to Minister McConalogue, the online option allows farmers, whether full-time or part-time, to undertake the training at a date and time that best suits them rather than having to attend a specific location on a specific day.
The online training is split into seven modules and a farmer can stop and start the training as necessary, once it is completed in full by November 15, 2024.
The minister said that the department will be monitoring the uptake of the SCEP training regularly and will issue “targeted communication as required to participants to help them complete the training”.
Farmers must have the training completed by November 15, 2024, to avoid removal from SCEP and loss of any payments already received. Further details of the in-person training events will be published in due course, the department said.
The online training is available to access at a dedicated website called www.sceptraining.ie. Each module should take, on average, around 30 minutes to complete. Participants can do all the modules at once or complete them in stages.
It is possible to partially complete a module and pick up where you left off the next time you log in. However, all modules must be completed in full by November 15 to be deemed compliant with the training requirement.
(Source – Agriland – Charles O Donnell – 08/05/2024)
Over 83,000 BISS Applications Submitted As Deadline Nears
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has now received over 83,000 applications for area-based schemes, including the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme.
The department has confirmed to Agriland that 83,096 applications had been submitted as of Monday, May 6.
This means that an additional 19,000 applications were lodged with the department over the previous seven days.
DAFM previously confirmed that 63,962 applications had been made by Monday, April 29.
The latest update comes as farmers or their agricultural advisor now have just over one week to submit applications as the closing date for BISS applications in 2024 is Wednesday, May 15.
Last year, over 124,000 BISS applications were lodged with the department. Based on this figure it means that around 40,000 farmers are yet to submit their scheme application for 2024.
Under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) was replaced by BISS.
BISS Applications
The online application system for all elements of direct payments (BISS, Eco-Schemes, Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers, Protein Aid, National Reserve, transferring of entitlements) is currently open for farmers.
DAFM has said that annual payment claims for the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) can also be made online.
The maximum payment that will be granted to any one farmer under the BISS, in any one scheme year is capped at an effective rate of €66,000.
The department said that no payment will be made where the amount is less than €100.
DAFM has said that an advance BISS payment may be made in October, while balancing payments under the scheme commence in December.
The department is operating the following helplines to assist farmers in making their BISS applications online:
- 049 4368288 in relation to queries on registering for www.agfood.ie – for example queries on lost passwords, how to register etc;
- 057 8674422 in relation to queries on completing the BISS application once registered on www.agfood.ie or to request a paper copy of the terms and conditions.
(Source – Agriland – Aiusling O Brien – 07/05/2024)