The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) issued over €6.5 million in scheme payments to farmers in the fourth week of 2024.
Data published by the department shows that €3.4 million was paid to farmers under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complimentary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) in the week ending January 26.
118,314 farmers have now received payments totaling €805.65 million under these schemes.
The overall figure also includes the 2023 Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (€25.2 million) and 2023 National Reserve (€3.2 million) payments.
An additional €700,000 million paid out under the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers and an extra €400,000 under the 2023 National Reserve in the week ending January 26.
DAFM
The department said that €1.36 million was allocated to farmers under the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), while there were payments of €280,000 made for the Protein Aid Scheme.
€350,680 was paid to farmers last week who are part of the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).
3,673 farmers have now received a total of almost €37 million under the 2023 OFS.
The department said that a further €440,000 was paid out last week under the 2023 Eco-Scheme.
115,499 farmers have now received over €294.3 million under the scheme which was introduced for the first time as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
€400,000 was paid to farmers in the department’s fourth weekly payment run of 2024 for the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and Areas of Specific Constraint (ASC) schemes.
98,642 farmers have now received a total of €247.06 million under these schemes.
The department also said that €300,416 was paid out last week under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS).
The DAFM figures also show that €20,000 was paid in outstanding payments under the Green, Low-carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS).
GLAS was replaced by the new the €1.5 billion Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) scheme under the new CAP.
ACRES
Meanwhile, a total of 3,744 farmers in Co. Mayo – which is the highest in the country when compared to any other county – are still waiting for payments under ACRES.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine told the Dáil that overall there are currently 28,084 farmers who still have not received an ACRES payment.
In response to a question raised by the Independent TD for Clare, Violet-Anne Wynne, Minister Charlie McConalogue, said that a total of 17,145 farmers had received a payment from the scheme.
The average payment that each farmer received was almost €4,500.