Ahead of the deadline for the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) Non-Productive Investments (NPI), there has been 7,000 applications for these actions so far.
These applications have been submitted ahead of the deadline for the first phase of NPI actions, which is Wednesday, December 6, at 5:30p.m.
ACRES participants and their advisors in the co-operation project (CP) zones of Breifne, Leinster and Munster South Connacht have developed approximately 7,000 applications for NPIs on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) mapping system.
Fergal Monaghan, project manager of the Hen Harrier Project, whose employees are contracted by the DAFM to assess commonages, said there will likely be more applicants to NPI actions ahead of the deadline.
Monaghan said: “We are very happy with the level of interest and expect to see thousands more applications by the closing date.
“NPIs are an important part of the scheme as they allow the farmers to draw down extra funds and support the delivery of improved habitats through management.
“There will be additional opportunities to apply for NPIs, but I would urge all ACRES CP participants to avail of every application window.”
NPIs are applied for by the ACRES advisor in an NPI annual works plan or by the ACRES Co-operation Project team in a Landscape Action annual works plan through the mapping system maintained by the DAFM.
“If you have not already talked to your advisor about the potential for NPIs to improve your farm, to increase your ACRES payment and to improve habitats and water quality than please do so as soon as possible,” Monaghan said.
NPI
The total maximum budget for an ACRES CP participant over the five-year contract is €52,500 (5x €10,500).
A maximum budget of €7,000 per year is available for ACRES CP core payment (the sum of all ACRES CP results-based payments plus ACRES general action payments).
An additional NPI/LA fund of €17,500 (5x €3,500) is available for NPIs/LAs/Landscape Bonus over the five years of the contract.
Where a farmer does not claim up to the max €7,000 core payment ceiling in any year of the ACRES contract, the balance of unclaimed funds is added to the total NPI/LA/Landscape Bonus fund for that participant.
Where NPIs are approved, payment will be limited to the remaining fund ceiling for that participant. The total maximum budget of €52,500 will not be exceeded.
There are three categories of proposed NPIs:
- Section 1 NPI Habitat and Wildlife Support;
- Section 2 NPI Infrastructure;
- Section 3 NPI Scrub/Track (Burren/Aran CP Zone only);
NPI Habitat/Wildlife Support
NPI Infrastructure
NPI Scrub/Track NPI Burren Aran CP Zone only
The DAFM notes that some NPIs are only available to select on a NPI Annual Works Plan (AWP) for ACRES CP participants in the Burren Aran CP Zone that are managed by the Burren Aran CP Team.