Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has today (Tuesday, February 8) announced the launch of a new Agri-Environment Training Scheme (AETS) for farmers.
The initiative is a voluntary training scheme open to all farmers to improve their knowledge of agri-environment initiatives and farm safety.
The scheme is being launched as a Department of Agriculture-wide initiative, with Minister of State for new market development, farm safety and research and development Martin Heydon and Minister of State for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett also taking part in the launch.
“I am delighted to be opening the AETS as it will make easily accessible information available to farmers and increase their awareness and understanding of current issues.”
Minister McConalogue explained that the one-day course will provide farmers with information on a range of topics, including environmental issues; lessons learnt from participation in the most recent agri-environment scheme; the concept of results based agri-environment measures; and farm health and safety standards.
It is part of the development of the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and “ensures that farmers are well placed to get the most from the range of environmental schemes starting next year”, the minister noted.
The scheme is part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and is being made available in the transitional period before the proposed commencement of Ireland’s new CAP Strategic Plan in 2023.
A budget of €7 million is available for the scheme.
Its objectives are to train farmer participants in environmental practices and standards; to enhance the uptake and execution of future agri-environment schemes; and to highlight the importance of farm safety.
The courses will be created and undertaken by advisors approved by the department as trainers for this scheme – who will be known as ‘AETS trainers’ – and they will provide a one-day course for interested farmers. At least half of the scheme will be delivered on a farm.
Minister Pippa Hackett commented: “The next CAP in Ireland will be the most ambitious from an environmental point of view.
“It’s important that farmers are well placed to make the most of the available schemes and this training initiative, with its on-farm biodiversity and results-based focus, will help them to do exactly that.”
Minister Heydon said: “As minister with responsibility for farm safety, I am determined that these types of training initiatives should include a module on farm safety. We must take every opportunity to get the message of safety-first onto farms and this scheme provides the opportunity to do that in a real-world setting.
“Last year we saw a significant improvement in our farm safety record but we must not become complacent. Every life lost on a farm is one too many and there is still much work to do,” he added.
The scheme will be open to all farmers who apply for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). A farmer may only attend one training course during he lifetime of the scheme.
The amount payable to a farmer who satisfactorily attends an AETS course is €156.
This amount is paid to the AETS trainer who runs the course and he or she will pay each farmer who satisfactorily attends the full course. The AETS trainer is then paid a fee of €90 in respect of each farmer who attends the course.