Deadline for EU farm payment forms expires at midnight

Farmers have been advised to complete application forms for their new single-payment EU subsidy cheques before the deadline expires at midnight tonight.

Under the single payment scheme, farmers will in future receive one cheque every year from the EU in place of the range of subsidies previously available to them.

Around 120,000 applications have already been received by the Department of Agriculture and the number is reported to be rising steadily this morning.

However, thousands of farmers have yet to complete the application forms and the IFA has warned that they will lose 4% of their entitlement for every day that the forms are late.

Department of Agriculture offices throughout the country are due to stay open until midnight tonight to accommodate those submitting late applications.