Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has confirmed that 122,151 farmers applied online for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based schemes before the May 15 deadline.

The area-based application includes a range of schemes under Pillar I of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including the Eco Scheme, Complementary Redistribution Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF), Protein Aid, Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), and Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC).

The application window also catered for annual claims under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).

The applications per Pillar I scheme are as follows:

These figures include 2,902 Temporary Reference Number applications; applications where no BISS entitlements are held (if applicable); and applications without any claimed area.

Applications will be subject to administrative checks to determine eligibility.

There were also 34,359 applications received for transfer of entitlements.

The closing date for the receipt of transfer of entitlements applications was also May 15.

However, if a change made to a BISS online application leads to a farmer having insufficient land to use all of their entitlements, they will have the opportunity to submit a transfer of entitlements application up until midnight on May 31.

This is only available to farmers who can show that they have made a change to their BISS application by May 31, and that change has directly led to the need to transfer entitlements.

Announcing the application figures, Minister Heydon said: "Area-based support schemes are of critical importance to farmers. One of the key milestones is the May 15 deadline and I’m delighted that so many farmers have submitted their forms on time.”

"This figure reflects the massive effort made by farmers...advisers and by my department in assisting farmers with these schemes and their various requirements.

"I want to particularly acknowledge the advisory services again this year, who have worked extremely hard with their client farmers to meet a range of application deadlines in recent months," he said.

In advance of the deadline, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine held 16 one-to-one clinics around the country.

According to the minister, almost 1,437 farmers were assisted at these events, with a further 317 receiving direct help at the department's public office in Portlaoise.

Meanwhile, the Direct Payments Helpdesk at the department made and received over 6,875 calls to farmers since April 1.

"I want every eligible farmer to maximise their payments because I and everyone in my department knows how crucial they are to farm families," Minister Heydon said.

Applications can still be accepted after the closing date; however, there will be a 1% per working day penalty.

Where farmers have made their BISS and other area-based schemes application, but now wish to make an amendment, they may make such changes online on the AgFood portal until midnight on May 31 without any penalty.