The highest number of 2022 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications made by this year's deadline came from Co. Cork.

Of the 128,360 applications received by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) by May 16, almost 10% or 12,813 came from the Rebel County.

This was followed by Co. Galway with 12,112 applications and Mayo with 11,366.

The overall number included 2,209 applications submitted using the temporary reference number facility so they cannot yet be assigned to a county/herd until processed.

The full county-by-county breakdown of BPS applications made by the original deadline is as follows:

Along with the 128,360 BPS/Greening applications made by the May 16 deadline, DAFM told Agriland that:

The department will write to eligible farmers in June inviting them to apply for the Tillage Incentive Scheme and the Protein/Cereal Mix (50/50) Crop Scheme.

DAFM reminded farmers that amendments to 2022 BPS applications, including the addition of parcels/plots, may be made online up to May 31, 2022, without penalty.

Late amendments with additional parcels/plots or amended claimed areas will be accepted online up to and including June 10, 2022, but a penalty will apply.

Applicants may withdraw land, reduce the claimed area of a parcel or change use from eligible to ineligible, without penalty, at any time after May 31, 2022, provided that:

For farmers who missed the May 16 deadline, there is a 25-calendar day period for the acceptance of late BPS applications and any necessary supporting documentation.

However, deductions to payments at a rate of 1% per day in respect of both BPS/Greening applies to late applications which are received during this period.

The department said that after this period has ended applications will not be accepted, except in cases of force majeure/exceptional circumstances.