121,012 farmers applied for this year’s Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The scheme provides payments to people farming land in designated disadvantaged areas.
It aims to support the continuation of farming in these area by compensating farmers for the additional costs involved in farming such land.
According to figures provided to Agriland by DAFM, Co. Galway had the highest number of ANC scheme applications at 11,839.
This was followed by Cork with 11,529 and Mayo at 11,137.
The overall number included 2,082 applications submitted using the temporary reference number facility so they cannot yet be assigned to a county/herd until processed.
The full county-by-county breakdown of ANC scheme applications is as follows:
County ANC scheme applications Carlow 1,406 Cavan 4,747 Clare 5,965 Cork 11,529 Donegal 8,883 Dublin 416 Galway 11,839 Kerry 7,658 Kildare 1,585 Kilkenny 2,995 Laois 2,514 Leitrim 3,393 Limerick 4,858 Longford 2,366 Louth 1,318 Mayo 11,137 Meath 2,901 Monaghan 4,005 Offaly 2,837 Roscommon 5,575 Sligo 3,883 Tipperary 6,322 Waterford 2,190 Westmeath 2,955 Wexford 3,591 Wicklow 2,062 No herd number 2,082 Total 121,012
Originally, the department reported that 120,995 farmers applied for the ANC scheme by the May 16 deadline.
However, that figure has now been updated to include 17 farmers who selected the scheme after the closing date using the department’s online amendment facility.
Meanwhile, DAFM previously confirmed that the highest number of 2022 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications made by this year’s deadline came from Co. Cork.
Of the 128,360 applications received by the department by May 16, almost 10% or 12,813 came from the Rebel County.
This was followed by Co. Galway with 12,112 applications and Mayo with 11,366.
The overall number included 2,209 applications submitted using the temporary reference number facility so they cannot yet be assigned to a county/herd until processed.