May 15th Deadline for 2013 Single Farm Payment Applciations – IFA

IFA President John Bryan said all farmers need to make sure they have lodged their Single Farm Payment application form with the Department of Agriculture in Portlaoise in good time and well before next Wednesday closing date of May 15th.

John Bryan said this is the most important piece of paperwork farmers will complete this year as it is the key to receiving Single Farm Payment, Disadvantaged Areas payments, REPS/AEOS and all other farm schemes. He said without a properly completed SFP application form, lodged before the May 15th deadline farmers, will not receive their direct payments.

The IFA President said all farmers should make sure to get the application in by next Wednesday May 15th and they can make amendments to their application up to May 31st.

John Bryan said the majority of applications will be made on-line. For the large number of postal and directly delivered applications, they should be sent to the Single Payment Unit, Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. He said for farmers posting forms, they must send them by express post or registered post, in order to have proof of postage.

The Department of Agriculture offices in Portlaoise will remain open until 9.00pm on next Monday May 13th and Tuesday May 14th, and will be open until 12.00 midnight on Wednesday May 15th.

The IFA President pointed out that the Department of Agriculture has made it clear that SFP application forms must not be sent to local Department offices as they will not be accepted. All applications must be sent to Portlaoise.