The online application for the 2018 carbon navigator must be uploaded to the ICBF database by midnight tonight (30 September).

There are only a handful of topics that information is required on and all relate to the 2018 calendar year.

These include turnout and housing dates, the volume of chemical and organic fertiliser applied and information relating to such, along with a record on the volume of concentrates fed.

Online portal

The online portal can be accessed under the 'Services' section on a farmer's ICBF login page. Select the 'Services' dropdown from the menu and select the option 'Beef Data & Genomics'. There you will see the 2018 tab at the bottom left of the screen.

The ICBF wishes to remind farmers it is very important to click the save button on the bottom right of the screen. The BDGP helpline can be contacted on 023-883 2883 or email bdgp@icbf.com.

Username and password

If you are having challenges accessing the ICBF online portal, your username is your herd number or herd designator and your password is a minimum of six characters. If you cannot remember your password, there are three ways to get your password:

Text the word PASS to 089-457 7663 to receive your password. NOTE: Your mobile number needs to be stored on the ICBF database for this system to work.

Email support (query@icbf.com).

Call ICBF on 023-8820452 during office hours (9am – 5.30pm).

Sheep tag subsidy

Monday 30 September is also the deadline for the Department's sheep tag subsidy. Farmers will have to act quickly if they wish to make orders over the phone with tag manufacturers who do not have online ordering options.

The tag subsidy is paid at a rate of €1 per EID tag / tag set with a minimum order of 10 tags and maximum payment on 100 tags.

The once-off payment is calculated on the basis of €1 per single electronic tag or electronic tag set, meaning that for a producer to get the maximum subsidy of €100, they must purchase either 100 single EID tags / EID tag sets or a combination of the two tag types.

The minimum subsidy is €10 or a minimum of 10 tags. The subsidy is paid on the first order of EID tags made between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 2019. The final payment takes place in October 2019.