Coveney to Introduce New Text Message Service for Farmers

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD is to introduce a new text message service to keep farmers informed on important issues and deadlines.  This new facility will further improve the Departments' customer service.   It will include notifications regarding scheme reminders such as SPS closing dates (it is worth noting that 1700 farmers were penalised in 2011 due to late application  resulting in a payment loss of €1.6m), Farm Safety, Animal Health, as well as alerts of new information on the DAFM website.

The central databases of the Department currently hold over 73,000 mobile phone details for their customers.  An initial introductory text message will be sent and recipients who do not wish to participate can opt out free of charge.

If you wish to avail of this service and have not yet supplied the Department with your current mobile number, you can do so by:

• emailing: mobileupdate@agriculture.gov.ie – including full name and address together with your PPSN details to ensure correct matching of your mobile number to your customer record, or by

• post to - 
  Mobile Updates,
  Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,
  Farnham Street,
  Cavan

A form to assist you is available on the Department website at www.agriculture.gov.ie/mobileupdates

Date Released: 04 April 2012