Results from commonage screening in several Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) Co-operation (CP) regions are highlighting a "positive outlook" for sustainable agriculture.

The €1.5 billion flagship agri-environmental scheme is divided into two approaches: ACRES General and ACRES CP.

The ACRES CP regions in Munster/South Connacht, Breifne and Leinster are managed by the Hen Harrier Programme.

The team includes senior and deputy project officers, technical support staff and management personnel.

The company said that it is focused on supporting farmers, farm advisors, ACRES CP participants in recognising the value and importance of sustainable agriculture.

Despite the well documented challenges facing the rollout of the ACRES scheme, the Hen Harrier Programme said that the collaborative effort of farmers, advisors and project officers is "yielding encouraging results in these CP regions".

The data from the 2023 commonage surveys in the three regions shows that the majority of commonages have attained scores well above the 4 out of 10 threshold.

Commonage in Leinster ACRES CP region had an average score of 6.5 (65%) out of 10, with half of the surveyed area scoring good vegetation structure which provides habitat and food sources for a range of species.

In the ACRES CP Breifne region commonages have scored an average of 5.6, with vegetation structure classified as good for almost 40% of the commonages.

Fergal Monaghan, programme director for Acres CP Leinster, Breifne & Munster/SouthConnacht, said they have been "really pleased with the scoring so far".

"There are a number of measures they can take now, with support, as part of a road map to increase their scores .

"We are currently running commonage clinics across our zones to allow farmers to query the results, get feedback and advice on next steps," he said.

The Hen Harrier Programme said that between 20 and 40% of the fields scored in the CP regions attained 8 out of 10 or higher.

It said that the results "reflect the hard work and dedication of farmers who are actively managing their commonages which is delivering habitat quality".

The Hen Harrier Programme highlighted the following results across the three ACRES CP regions:

ACRES CP Breifne

Breifne reported an average score of 56% (5.6) out of 100 in recent commonage surveys, indicating solid performance in enhancing commonage areas. Over a quarter of the parcels surveyed had scores of 8 or higher;
180 areas 56.1% (5.6) in Breifne showed no presence of non-native invasive species

ACRES CP Munster/South Connacht

Farmers in Munster/South Connacht achieved an average score of 54.8(5.5) out of 100, reflecting a commendable commitment to sustainable practices. Around a fifth of the parcels surveyed had a score of 8 or higher;
185 areas (55.9%) reported no invasive species present.

ACRES CP Leinster

Leinster achieved an average score of 65%(6.5) out of 100, with 30% of surveyed areas displaying high positive indicators for vegetation structure. Almost 40% of the parcels surveyed had a score of 8 or higher;
Only 8 areas (3.5%) in Leinster reported high levels of invasive species.

The CP teams and farm advisors scored more than 100,000 ha of farmland across the three CP zones in the summer of 2023 with all scores submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in autumn of that year.

Caroline Sullivan, project manager ACRES CP Breifne, said it was important to acknowledge the positive outcomes being achieved through the scheme.

"For instance, in Breifne, 180 commonage areas (56%) have no invasive species present. The remaining 44% mostly had self-sown conifers that could be dealt with quickly.

"A smaller number of sites have rhododendron, but the CP teams will provide advice on dealing with these," she said.