ACRES NPIs - are you leaving potential payments behind?
The window is currently open to apply for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
NPIs are complementary environmental actions available to support ACRES Co-operation (CP) participants to enhance the sustainable management of their farms.
In 2024, NPI applications were submitted on behalf of 4,800 ACRES farmers, which was an increase on the previous year.
The deadline for submission of 2025 NPI applications is Friday, October 17.
Ahead of that deadline, Agriland spoke with Fergal Monaghan, programme director for ACRES Breifne, Leinster and Munster/South Connaught region.
The company, which currently employs 33 people covering 20 counties, grew out of the Hen Harrier Project European Innovation Partnership (EIP) which operated until 2023.
"We've a big footprint, we've a lot of ground to cover. We've about 7,500 farmers in ACRES Co-operation in those three areas. So it's a lot of a lot of people to keep in touch with," he said.
In 2023 and 2024, the company applied for 53,000 NPIs on behalf of farmers.
"The third window for NPIs is open at the moment, and it's going to run until October 17. It's an important opportunity for farmers.
"When ACRES Co-operation was launched, it was made clear to farmers that there was €52,500 potentially available to each participant [over five years], but a maximum of €35,000 of that is all that can be attained through the habitat payment," Monaghan said.
He noted that in many cases because of small farm sizes or perhaps even low scores that threshold of €35,000 will not be reached.
"The full sum of €52,500 is still there, but people are going to have to apply for Non-Productive Investments to draw that down.
"So that's really in in the farmers hands. Now, many of them have already gone down that road, but a certain number haven't," he added.
Monaghan said that for many farmers, particularly those who were not in the Hen Harrier project, applying for actions on an annual basis "is still a bit of a new concept".
He acknowledged that uncertainty and delays around the roll-out of the NPI payment system also played a role in farmers not making applications.
"The payment system is up and running now, and farmers are applying for payments for delivered actions. I would hope that that would give people more confidence, that the wait between delivering the action and getting paid would be as narrow as possible," he said.
There are around 40 different actions available to ACRES CP farmers. The ACRES Ireland website has an "Actions Explorer" function with short videos detailing all of the options.
"There's something there for everyone. Some of them the payments are quite modest, but there's other actions, like riparian margins, where quite significant sums can be can be drawn down relatively easily," Monaghan said.
The ACRES Ireland team is also encouraging farmers to consider complementary actions.
For example, a farmer who already has a wild bird cover strip could consider putting up a barn owl box, as the species preys on small rodents.
These farmers could also then sign up for the rodenticide free vermin control action.
"What I'd like to encourage people to do is when they're picking an action, look at how they can add value to that action, by availing of other NPIs that are similarly aligned," Monaghan said.
ACRES Ireland will be releasing a series of videos over the coming weeks showcasing the valuable work being carried out by farmers as part of the agri-environmental scheme.
"I hope farmers would get some inspiration from that, that what others have done is practical and realistic for them to follow.
"I would ask any farmer to talk to their advisor in the first instance, see what options are there that would fit in with their farming system and fit in with the local context.
"The number of applications that we've been getting over the last two years has averaged about 10 NPIs per farmer that's made an application. I'd ask people to try and see if you could add to that," Monaghan said.
He also urged farmers who have never applied for an NPI to speak with their advisor or another farmer who has undertaken actions under ACRES.
"We don't want a farmer that could have drawn down €50,000 plus, leaving €30,000 of that behind him, because he hasn't availed of what's possible," Monaghan said.
