Midland Farmer - Spring 2024

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4 MIDLAND FARMER Spring 2024 DAFM now accepting BISS applications for 2024 Young Offaly The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has today opened the application process for the 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS). The department said that it is also now accepting applications for Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Eco-Schemes and the other related schemes. The closing date for BISS applications in 2024 is Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) has been replaced by the BISS. According to the department, the new scheme is “designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability”. 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. No payment will be made under the BISS where the amount is less than €100. DAFM said that farmers will receive a BISS information pack in the post over the coming days. The pack contains a Health and Safety Authority (HSA) leaflet along with a BISS help sheet, an Area Monitoring System (AMS) leaflet, maps, cover letter and a statement of lands. “This information will assist farmers and their advisors to make their online application,” the department said. The department has urged farmers and advisors “to avail of the early opening of the application process now rather than waiting until nearer the closing date”. Farmers can apply for all elements of direct payments (BISS, Eco-Schemes, Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers, Protein Aid, National Reserve, transferring of entitlements) online. According to DAFM, this helps to ensure that it can “process all applications under these schemes as efficiently as possible”. Farmers are being reminded to check that they have correctly applied for the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) and Eco- Scheme, if applicable. The department 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. In the case of ACRES Tranche 2 applicants, access to the BISS application system will be made available on a gradual basis over the coming weeks, as approvals issue and as the required updates to mapping systems are made. Farmers who want to contact the department in relation to online application they can do so by calling 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. farming student wins 2023 John Feely Scholarship Offaly farming student, Michael Tully, receiving a John Feely Foundation Scholarship cheque for €1500 from ICMSA President, Denis Drennan, in the specialist dairy organisation’s Head Office in Limerick earlier this month. Accompanying Eoin to the presentation was his father, Joe. A young man from Fivealley, Birr, has been awarded one of the country’s most prestigious farm scholarships. Michael Tully was one of the four recipients of the 2023 John Feely Foundation Scholarships hosted at their Limerick head office by ICMSA and the Association’s President, Denis Drennan. Mr Drennan said the standard of the applicants overall was very encouraging and that of the four individuals concerned was outstanding. “The standard we’re seeing in the young dairy farmers coming through bodes well for the sector: they’re technically very strong and environmentally aware, they’re also committed to building on the standards already achieved. ICMSA is delighted to be associated with the John Feely Scholarship programme and we’ll be getting out the details for the 2024 awards programme in due course and we’d welcome applications from the dairy families of Offaly and all over our Midlands membership base,” he said. Mullingar Equine Vets Ltd. Michael O’Donoghue MVB MRCVS Padraig O’Reilly MVB & Associates EQUINE PRACTICE 1A Brosna Bus. Pk., Lynn Road, Mullingar T: 044 934 8142 E: info@mevets.ie
Spring 2024 Ireland ranks 8 out of 14 EU countries for sustainable progress Ireland has ranked in eighth place out of 14 comparable EU countries in this year’s Sustainable Progress Index report released last Tuesday, February 20 by Social Justice Ireland. The report entitled ‘Measuring Progress: Sustainable Progress Index 2024’ ranked 14 comparable EU countries based on their delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sweden ranked the highest for sustainable progress index ratings, followed by Denmark; Netherlands; Finland; Austria; Germany; Luxembourg; Ireland; Belgium; France; Portugal; Italy; Spain; and Greece. The report looked at 17 SDGs, with 83 indicators overall and covered the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability reflected in Agenda 2030. Ireland ranked at number nine out of the 14 countries in the economy section. On the social index, Ireland is in the middle of the ranking, in 7th place. Ireland ranked 11th on the environment index, according to the report. The score has improved on some environmental SDGs, such as on SDG 11 ‘sustainable cities and communities’. However, “poor performance” can be seen on goals relating to water quality, affordable and clean energy, responsible production and consumption, and climate change, according to the report. Ireland ranked 11th for clean water and sanitation; 14th for affordable and clean energy; second for sustainable cities and communities; 10th for responsible consumption and production; ninth for climate action; eight for life below water; and seventh for life on land. Research and policy analyst with Social Justice Ireland, Michelle Murphy said: “At the midpoint of the implementation of the 2030 agenda, a reality check reveals significant challenges are still evident in meeting some of the environment goals. “Ireland is still seriously underperforming in areas such as affordable energy, clean water, innovation and infrastructure, gender equality, and sustainable agriculture. “This is dragging our overall ranking down even though we are performing well in some areas. We are failing to balance core essentials such as economic and social progress, sustaining the planet’s environment and resources and combatting climate change.” . MIDLAND FARMER 9% increase in people working in agriculture The number of people employed in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector increased by around 9% in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023 when compared to the same period in the previous year. That is according to the latest Labour Force Survey published last Thursday, February 22 by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The figures show that 112,900 people were employed in the sector in Q4 2023 which is up by 9,300 year-on-year.However, it is down from the 114,700 working in the sector in the previous quarter. Agriculture, forestry and fishing was among the economic sectors that saw the largest percentage increase yearon-year in people employed. The CSO data shows that 97,500 males aged between 15 and 89 years were employed in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector in Q4 2023. This is up from 86,000 in the corresponding quarter in 2022, but is down slightly on Q3 2023 when 97,300 males were working in the sector. 15,400 females were working in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Q4 2023, which is down by over 2,000 when compared with the same period in the previous year (17,600). The southwest was the region with the highest number of people employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing at 24,500. This was followed by the border region (19,200), the southeast (16,900) and the west (15,000). Overall, the CSO data shows that the number of people aged 15-89 years in employment stood at 2,706,400 in Q4 2023. This marks an increase of 5 3.4% or 89,600 more people in work when compared to 12 months earlier. The employment rate for people aged 15-64 years was 74% in Q4 2023. There were 117,700 unemployed people aged 15- 74 years in the period, giving an unemployment rate of 4.2%, up from 4.1% in Q4 2022. The unemployment rate among those aged 15-24 years (the youth unemployment rate) was 9.4% in Q4 2023, up from 9.1% in Q4 2022. There were 29,500 people in longterm unemployment (unemployed for 12 months or longer) in Q4 2023 . This was a decrease of 4,900 people from Q4 2022.
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Midland Farmer - Spring 2024

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