Balancing payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme have commenced, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has announced.
Payments totalling €241 million have issued to 96,731 farmers under the ANC scheme. This represents an increase on previous years, with €238 million paid to 95,000 farmers at balancing stage in 2023.
In September, ANC advance payments worth over €184 million have issued to 87,149 farmers. Advance payments account for 85%, and the balancing payments for 15%.
To date, 99% of eligible applicants have received their payment under the scheme, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days. The DAFM will continue to process, “as a matter of urgency”, all remaining cases for payment as any outstanding queries are addressed, the minister said.
“The ANC scheme is an important support for farm families in many regions of the country. I am pleased to announce that payments totalling €241 million have issued to 96,731 farmers under the ANC scheme.
“The efficient issuing of scheme payments is a key priority for my department. The 15% balancing payment under the ANC scheme has commenced on schedule and is in line with Farmers’ Charter commitments,” the minister said.
ANC scheme
Minister McConalogue urged any farmers who have outstanding queries from the DAFM to respond as soon as possible to facilitate payment.
Farmers wishing to contact the DAFM regarding their ANC payment can ring the direct payments helpline at 057 867 4422. Farmers can also submit any queries on agfood.ie where a detailed breakdown of payments can also be accessed.
In line with previous years, not all applications are currently cleared for payment under the ANC scheme, the DAFM said.
Farmers should submit any outstanding evidence in support of their application to the DAFM’s Portlaoise Office as soon as possible to facilitate the early release of payments.
The DAFM notes that payments may take up to five days to reach farmers’ accounts.