The online portal for the Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) action under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) for 2026 is now open.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed that the annual declaration can be completed by an ACRES adviser on behalf of their client or by the ACRES participant themselves.

The portal can be accessed through the department’s MyAgfood.ie platform.

The LESS return must be completed on the portal by Monday, November 2, 2026.

DAFM said: "Failure to complete and submit the LESS return will result in a delay in making the 2026 ACRES advance payment and may result in the rejection of the LESS action from their ACRES contract".

Closed period

DAFM also noted that in response to exceptional weather over the summer period and the recent surge in grass growth in areas that were previously impacted by drought, slurry application will be permitted this year up to October 7, 2026.

The closed period for slurry spreading therefore commences on October 8.

"Farmers who wish to avail of the extension need to register with this department in advance of spreading," DAFM said.

This can be done by emailing [email protected] or by phoning 053 916 3425 and quoting their herd number.

Requirements

DAFM reminded farmers and their advisers that the following requirements apply to the LESS action:

Holdings must have a grassland stocking rate of less than 100kg nitrogen per hectare from grazing livestock manure prior to export of livestock manure;
All the slurry applied on the farm (produced and/or imported) must, for each year of the contract, be spread by one or a combination of band spreading, injection systems, and trailing show;

Pig slurry is not eligible for payment under this action. Only slurry produced on the holding (excluding pig slurry) is eligible for payment;
Participants must retain, and provide if requested, documentary evidence to confirm the spreading method used, and the volumes spread on the holding;
The minimum volume of slurry that must be applied on the holding each year of the contract using one of the listed methods is 50m³. DAFM noted 1m³ cubic metre is equal to 1,000L;
The participant or their approved ACRES adviser must submit a completed annual slurry declaration return to the DAFM on the online portal;
Only parcels with an eligible hectare >0 claimed on BISS 2026 will be available on the drop-down menu;
Volume produced and volume imported must be entered in separate fields and at least one of the fields must be filled in;
Multiple spread events on the same parcel can be input.

DAFM added that it is not required to enclose receipts when completing the form.

The receipts must be kept by the participant with their record sheets and be made available for any inspection.