ACRES CP payments to be delayed until February – sources

Payments to farmers who applied to tranche one of the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) for the Cooperation Project (CP) stream will see their payments delayed until February, Agriland understands.

This appears to have emerged at a meeting between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and various stakeholders, including the leading farm organisations and the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA).

Sources familiar with the nature of that meeting have said that stakeholders were informed of the delay in payments in the CP stream of ACRES.

Farmers in the CP stream can avail of a higher rate of payment than those in the standard ACRES General stream.

The maximum possible payment per applicant in ACRES CP is around €10,500, while the average payment in that stream is expected to be around €7,000.

It is understood that, of the 46,000 farmers that applied to tranche one of ACRES earlier this year, 18,000 entered the CP stream. These farmers will be the ones impacted by the delay in payments until February.

For farmers in ACRES General, it is expected that payments will commence on December 18.

Separately, the Complimentary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISFY) is set to see the payment per hectare reduced due to the scheme being oversubscribed.

Sources indicated that the scheme, which was originally planned to offer payments of €175/ha on a maximum of 50ha for qualifying young farmers, will see a reduced payment rate of €158/ha, a reduction €17/ha, or a reduction of up to €850 per applicant, depending on the number of eligible hectares (up to 50ha).

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue confirmed this week that payments to farmers would commence under the CISYF.

However, the minister did not indicate the total amount to be paid or the number of farmers that would be receiving payment in this payment run.