Farmers will “not be able to cope” if Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payments do not “land on time”, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has warned today (Friday, September 29).
The organisation said it is aware that some areas have not yet been scored for ACRES co-operation (CP) zones and this is a concern for farmers who want to know what they will receive in payments this year in ACRES.
According to the IFA the list for non-productive Investments and landscape actions, which it said is a key payment for ACRES CP farmers “still isn’t open for application at this stage”.
The farm organisation has claimed that this could result in “€3,500 below what many farmers in ACRES CP areas would have expected and budgeted for this year”.
IFA national hill farming chair, Caillin Conneely, said: “Even for the land that has been scored, the department need to give assurances that all will be verified and cleared for payment on time in November.
“Their new IT system hasn’t exactly proven itself fit for purpose so far between delays in Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) payments and Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) approvals, as the minister said last week.
“Whatever issues or potential bottlenecks are there need to be resolved sooner rather than later,” he said.
He also highlighted that the delay in payments and a number of other factors are currently impacting heavily on hill farmers.
“The store lamb trade is on its knees, costs remain stubbornly high, some rising, and many simply won’t be able to cope if ACRES or other payments don’t land on time.
“We need clarity, resolution and further targeted budget intervention here quickly,” Conneely warned.
ACRES Scorecards
Meanwhile the deadline for the submission of completed scorecards for results-based actions under ACRES is today before 23:59p.m.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, (DAFM) has warned that there will be consequences if the deadline is not met .
“The final date for submission is now September, 29 2023 with no payment being made over the life of the ACRES contract in respect of parcel(s) for which scorecards are submitted after this date,” the department has stated.
The previous deadline was August 31.