Carlow TD welcomes new Bailing Assistance Payment Scheme
The BAP scheme is a payment available to successful applicants to the SIM 2024 who have withdrawn a parcel from SIM and decided to bale the parcel instead of chopping/incorporating.
Local Carlow Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnane O'Connor has welcomed the launch by her party colleague and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue of a new Baling Assistance Payment (BAP) scheme to run in tandem with the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM).
The BAP scheme is a payment available to successful applicants to the SIM 2024 who have withdrawn a parcel from SIM and decided to bale the parcel instead of chopping/incorporating.
The payment is €175 per hectare for eligible SIM crops, subject to a minimum of 1 hectare and a maximum of 40 hectares.
The eligible crops under BAP are Wheat, Oats Barley and Rye. Oilseed Rape is not an eligible crop under the Baling Assistance Payment.
Deputy Murnane O'Connor said, "The €175 per hectare Baling Assistance Payment will encourage tillage farmers to consider baling their SIM cereal crops, instead of cropping and incorporating them. I am also encouraging livestock farmers to be proactive and order sufficient fodder supplies.''
Deputy Murnane O'Connor concluded by saying that she believes pro-active action is necessary to prevent a potential fodder issue for many farmers this year.