The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has denied that the new Agri Climate Rural Environmental Scheme (ACRES) is being rushed.
Last month, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) opened the farm sustainability plan (FSP) portal for the agri-environmental scheme.
This will enable advisors to begin the process of developing farm plans ahead of making applications on behalf of farmers later in the year.
However, some private advisors have raised concerns that they will not have adequate time to complete the application process for all farmers who want to join ARCES.
“I don’t think anything is being rushed, but it is a big job of work, there’s no two ways about that,” Minister Charlie McConalogue told Agriland.
He said that the environmental scheme is the anchor scheme in Pillar II of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
“I want to ensure that as many people are in the new ARCES scheme as soon as they possibly can be. That’s a significant job of work, I know it’s a significant challenge for advisors as well,” he said.
“There’s been lots of engagement with advisors and with farm organisations through the CAP consultative work throughout this.
“It’s going to be really important that as we step this [scheme] out there’s engagement as it develops so that we can support advisors and farmers to make sure as many people as possible are in ARCES in the shortest timeframe we can,” the minister continued.
“It’s going to be a really important scheme. I want to see it operate as effectively and as straightforwardly as possible – any steps we can take to make it straightforward, we certainly will.
“There’s no doubt it’s going to be challenging, but important…..that we work together,” McConalogue concluded.