Countdown to April deadline for Single Farm Payment
21 February 2012 |
Posted by Anne O'Hare |
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is reminding farmers the deadline for submitting applications to transfer Single Farm Payment (SFP) entitlements for 2012 is fast approaching.
The closing date for the receipt of applications at DARD is Monday 2 April 2012.
Farm businesses wishing to receive payment in the 2012 SFP Scheme, or entitlements they intend to transfer or trade, are urged to submit transfer applications well in advance of the 2 April deadline. This will help any related queries to be resolved more quickly and, if necessary, allow time for a revised transfer application to be submitted before the deadline. An early request to transfer SFP entitlements should reduce the risk of any complications in the completion of 2012 Single Application Forms.
It is important that farmers who have inherited SFP entitlements make sure, as soon as probate has been cleared, the Executor or Personal Representative for the deceased’s estate submits an application to the Department to transfer the entitlements to the beneficiary. The Department will not accept SFP claims indefinitely from Executors or Personal Representatives on behalf of the Estate.
Farm businesses should also note, -entitlements not activated by the proper beneficiary could result in them being confiscated and returned to the National Reserve.
Applicants need to be registered and approved by DARD as a Category 1 Farm Business before they can receive SFP entitlements by transfer. Those wishing to transfer entitlements but who are not already registered with the Department as a farm business, should contact their local DARD Office for advice in the first instance. Where appropriate, an application (Form FB1) to register as a farm business should be completed and submitted to the Department.
If the value of your SFP entitlements is less than €100, you may choose to buy or lease additional entitlements to increase the total value of entitlements you could activate in 2012 to above €100. You will also need to ensure you have sufficient land, for example owned or taken in conacre, to activate these additional entitlements. If you don’t have enough land to activate all your entitlements, you may choose to sell or lease your entitlements to another farmer.
Completed applications to transfer SFP entitlements for the 2012 scheme should be returned to SFP Branch, Trading/Entitlements Section, Orchard House, 40 Foyle Street, Derry/Londonderry BT48 6AT.
