The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that almost €182 million is now issuing to 85,000 farmers under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme.
The ANC 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.
In line with last year’s arrangement, the payments currently issuing are an 85% advance payment on the ANC Scheme. 15% balancing payments are due to commence in early December.
Minister Charlie McConalogue commented: “I am delighted to announce that payments totalling €182 million have issued to almost 85,000 farmers in the first tranche of advance payments under the ANC scheme.
“This is in line with previous years. I am conscious of the importance of the timely delivery of payments under the ANC scheme.
“The ANC scheme is a crucial one for so many farm families and I was keen to issue payments as soon as possible. These payments represent a timely and significant financial boost for farmers and for the wider rural economy,” he added.
“The issuing of these payments in mid-September underscores my determination to maximise payments to farmers at the earliest possible time.”
The minister continued by stating: “Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and the department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria.”
The minister also confirmed that arrangements are being made by the DAFM to facilitate payment of the advance of 70% under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) with effect from October 18, 2021.
Criteria for ANC scheme
To qualify for the ANC, applicants must:
- Hold a valid herd number and be farming at least 3ha of eligible ANC lands in your own right;
- Maintain a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units (lu) per eligible forage hectare for seven consecutive months in 2021;
- Maintain an annual average stocking density of 0.15LU per eligible forage hectare for the 2021 year.
In line with previous years, not all applications are currently cleared for payment under the ANC Scheme according to the DAFM.
In particular, many farmers have yet to satisfy the annual average stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare for the calendar year.
However, farmers have until December 31, 2021 to do so. Such cases can only be cleared for payment once this requirement has been confirmed, according to the department.
Regular pay runs will continue in the coming weeks to ensure cleared cases are processed for payment as quickly as possible.
Farmers are advised to submit any outstanding stocking evidence in support of their application to the department’s Portlaoise office as soon as possible to facilitate the early release of payments.