Farmers will be told this week how large or small their EU Single Payment will be when they receive notification from the Department of Agriculture of their entitlement under the revised Common Agricultural Policy.
The Single Payment will replace the seven existing EU schemes and come into force next year, following Ireland's decision to totally decouple farm production from support payments.
A statement from the Department of Agriculture and Food last night said just over 122,000 farmers will receive notification this week from them of the payment which will total €1.322 billion.
On average, Irish farmers will receive around €10,000 each, based on what they were paid in 2000, 2001, 2002 by the EU. The first of the Single Payments will be made in December next year.
A further 30,000 farmers will not be receiving notification either because they are involved in an appeals system set up for farmers who had difficulties in the reference years, were new entrants to farming or inherited farms.
A Department spokesman said the amount being notified to farmers will be provisional and a low-cost telephone helpline has been set up to answer farmers' queries.
The Department of Agriculture and Food will also have information booths at its stand at the National Ploughing Championships, which will be held at the end of the month near Tullow in Co Carlow.
The Single Payment system was designed to remove as much bureaucracy from the system as possible and to move farm production away from farm support so the supports could be protected in the World Trade Talks.
Ireland is one of only a small number of EU countries to go for total decoupling of payments from production. Most of our European neighbours have kept some of their livestock or arable schemes under the old system of administration.
Despite a number of studies into the possible impact of decoupling here, no one is sure what will happen when the new system, under which farmers need not carry livestock or plant cereals to get their payments, comes into operation.
Already there are indications that the national cereal crop could decrease next year as demand for rented land for tillage has dropped dramatically, as has the rental price.