ACA (NI) are requesting DAERA to change the date of transfer of entitlements to coincide with the closing of BPS applications as thousands of pounds are being lost by our farming community. The window for transfer of entitlements closes currently on the 2nd of May – two weeks before the deadline for the submission of BPS application on the 15th of May.
Entitlements were established by businesses back in 2005 and re calculated in 2015. The transfer of entitlements is carried out strictly in accordance with the EU Regulations. As NI are no longer in the EU we should not need to adhere to these regulations and this decision to change the date can be made by the Agricultural Minister & DAERA. To put this all this in context last year there where in a region of 1100 entitlements not used at a value of £313,000 this works out at an average of £284.55 per entitlement. This is money that our farm businesses have lost and revenue that could have been used in NI especially in the current climate when every pound counts.
ACA (NI) have been raising this issue with DAERA for several years with no success. As an organisation who support the farming community we can no longer sit back and watch money belonging to our farmers not be used. It is time for change and time that DAERA sit up and take notice. ACA(NI) will take this to the highest level to force a change to this rule.
ACA (NI) will meet again with DAERA on the 14th of December and highlight this important issue and force a change to be made. WE CAN AND WE WILL.
At this meeting we will be discussing the following:
Entitlements – Date of transfer of entitlements be amended to coincide with end of BPS applications to ensure entitlements are not confiscated unnecessarily.
SNHS – application to be included with BPS application.
Authorisations – One authorisation for all schemes. When an agent is appointed, the appointment should be for all DAERA communications and applications.
FBIS – Issue of pricing used for FBIS. Prices were not reflective of the actual purchase price of a product.
Administration – Speed of processing of BC1’s, BC3’s, BC4’s and FB1’s is very slow and hinders quick turnaround of applications etc.
As our moto states “You do the farming, and we will do the paperwork”. ACA (NI) are here to listen to our farming community and get the best options available to them.
