Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has announced the commencement of payments worth €1.4 million for non-productive investments (NPIs) under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

The NPIs are implemented by participants in the Co-operation approach of ACRES as part of Co-operation Project (CP) teams.

Making the announcement, the minister said: “This is one of the new more ambitious elements of ACRES where participants are being paid to directly address on farm environmental issues.

"Funding is available to support tailored actions undertaken by farmers. The environmental benefits of these investments should allow participants to increase their payments through an increase in their results-based payments," Minister Heydon said.

Over €1.4 million is being paid to 588 farmers in this NPI pay run. The other NPI claims received are being progressed, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

"While some 1,200 claims have been submitted to date, I encourage all ACRES Co-operation participants who have implemented NPIs to submit their claims as soon as possible," Minister Heydon said.

Farmers can submit claims themselves, and there is a video on the department’s website to help them with this, or the claim may be submitted by their ACRES advisor.

Minister Heydon said: “I want to again encourage farmers in the ACRES Co-operation zones to engage with their ACRES advisors and their local ACRES Co-operation Project team, in advance of the next NPI application opportunity, to look at the range of NPIs available to them and assess the potential for enhancing their land and increasing scores.

A specific NPI application window opens each year, at which time applications, in the form of NPI annual work plans, are prepared and submitted by ACRES advisors on behalf of their clients.

The applications submitted are then referred to the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team in the relevant ACRES Co-operation zone for environmental screening, with the outcome of that screening returned to the department.

Following certain validations of the applications by the department, decision letters are issued, with a detailed NPI approval summary also subsequently sent to the participant to assist in the implementation of the approved NPIs.

Participants may not implement any action or investment until such time as they have received approval. The approval letter also states the deadline by which the NPIs may be implemented and payment claimed on.