Deadline for sheep, goat census looms
There is a legal onus on farmers to fill in the census and return it to the Department of Agriculture.
It is also necessary to complete the census in order to make a claim under the Grassland Sheep Scheme.
If you have no sheep or goats on the farm at the time, then you must complete a nil return.
This year, farmers are also required to identify the number of sheep that belong to mountain breeds and mountain crossbreeds.
It is advisable to keep a copy of the census for your own records, and to register the letter when posting the census return.
Or the census can be completed online, by selecting the ‘Online Services’ option in the Department’s www.agriculture.gov.ie website.
The online facility to record sheep and goat census information through the Departments ‘Online Services’ section was hit by technical difficulties recently, but a department spokesperson has aid that the online facility is now operational again.
To date, the department have received 22,000 completed census forms.
Failure to complete a census return could prevent you from ordering sheep or goat tags, dispatch/movement books or flock/herd registers. It may also lead to cross-compliance penalties, and hamper payment claims in certain schemes.
Should anyone require a further blank form, they can obtain one by calling LoCall 1890 200 114, any issues in general relating to the 2013 Census can also be discussed by calling this number.
