Confirmation of the addition of three eco schemes - to the existing five - in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been welcomed by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA).

ICSA rural development chair, Tim Farrell said the original eco-scheme proposals were unachievable for many farmers.

“The key improvements from our perspective are the introduction of three additional measures - soil sampling plus liming; enhanced crop diversification with break crops; and sowing of 6% of area with multi-sward species. Equally important are the amendments to the other options.”

“A farmer who achieves 10% rather than 7% non-productive area will be deemed to have fulfilled two measures.

"A farmer who plants six trees/ha rather than three trees/ha will also be deemed to have fulfilled the conditions for the full eco-scheme payment (but only for one year) as this will be classed as two measures rather than one.

“It was also confirmed that hedge planting would do as an alternative to tree planting and in this case the target is 1m of hedge per hectare. If you plant 2m/ha, it also counts as two measures. As an example, a farmer who has 30ha would need to plant 30m of hedge to fulfil one measure or 60m to fulfill two measures (for one year of the scheme).”

Farrell said that there are ongoing discussions to deal with the issue of how forestry plantations will fit into eco schemes, as well as discussions around natura land and land which has had areas of scrub red-lined.

"The DAFM is working with the EU Commission to ensure that from 2023, all parcels with up to 30% scrub or trees are deemed eligible for the full BISS payment, the eco-scheme payment, and that any land red-lined can contribute to the eco scheme non-productive area (also known as 'space for nature').

"For too many years, farmers with this kind of less productive or marginal land have been blackguarded and it is time to rectify this.”