Today (Thursday, May 15) is the final day on which to apply for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and related schemes under pillar I of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, over 118,000 applications have now been received, ahead of the deadline at midnight tonight.

A spokesperson for the department told Agriland that, as of yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, May 14), 118,061 applications have been received for BISS and other area-based schemes.

On Wednesday of last week (May 7), the department said that 93,478 applications had been made up to that point.

Applications seem to be following the same trend that is usually seen with BISS applications, with weekly application figures increasing notably as the deadline approaches.

BISS opened for applications on February 11. By April 23, the application figure was just shy of 64,000.

Over the next two weeks to Wednesday of last week, some 30,000 more applications had been made, and in the last week alone, around 25,000 further applications have been made.

Last year, 124,274 BISS and other area-based scheme applications were submitted to the department from across the country by the deadline.

It is expected that applications will continue to be received by the department throughout today right up to the deadline.

The BISS deadline is also the deadline for the related submission of applications for other schemes including the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF), eco-scheme, Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme, and transfers of entitlements.

Farmers who are seeking support with their applications can contact the department's Direct Payments Helpdesk on 057-8674422.

The department had previously said that the phone line will be open for extended opening hours right up to midnight tonight.

Farmers must apply for BISS and other area-based payments using the department’s online facility Agfood.ie. They must log onto www.agfood.ie and click on the BISS/area-based schemes link to start their applications.

Alternatively, farmers can contact a Farm Advisory System (FAS)-approved advisor to make the application on their behalf.