The deadline for the sowing of wild bird cover under GLAS 1 and 2 has been extended to June 14, 2016, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed.
The original deadline for the sowing of wild bird cover under the scheme was May 31, 2016.
Under the terms of GLAS, wild bird cover is a spring-sown crop that is left unharvested over the winter months. One-year mixes and two-year mixes are available to sow.
The minimum area that needs to be sown is 1ha as a priority action, while the minimum area to be sown is 0.25ha as a general action, according to the Department.
Reacting to the deadline extension, Roscommon – South Leitrim TD Michael Fitzmaurice said that hopefully the extended deadline would allow more farmers the time to meet the terms and conditions of the scheme.
- Environmental management of fallow land;
- Grey partridge and twite B and C; and,
- Protection of monuments (tillage).
All tillage actions, including arable margins, apply to crops to be harvested in 2016.
Earlier this year, the former Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, announced that the deadline for completion of the GLAS actions “Protection of Watercourses from Bovines” and “Riparian Margins” was being extended from March 31, 2016 to July 31, 2016 in light of the exceptionally wet winter.
Speaking at the time, the Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers due to the exceptional weather conditions and recognised the need to allow them sufficient time to meet the conditions of the GLAS Scheme.
“I am conscious of the work which farmers must undertake to fulfil these actions.
“I hope that this extra time will be of assistance to them in the completion of these important tasks and allow them to carry out the necessary work at a time when their land has recovered from the wet winter we have experienced this year.”