Teagasc is setting up a strategic partnership arrangement with the National Co-Op Farm Relief Services Limited (NCFRS) to provide a GLAS planning and support service to Teagasc farmer clients.

NCFRS was selected following a tender process. The decision was approved by the Teagasc Authority at its meeting in Oak Park Carlow, today, December 3. GLAS is the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme which is expected to open for farmers to apply in 2015.

Head of Knowledge Transfer in Teagasc Dr. Tom Kelly said the new partnership will allow Teagasc to continue to provide clients with a top quality agri-environmental planning and support service.

“I look forward to working with the Farm Relief Service in delivering a GLAS planning service to farmers,” he said.

Once the scheme is opened by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc clients will be able to work through their local Teagasc office as usual to avail of the GLAS service.

Teagasc says it will ensure that a qualified planner, provided by NCFRS will be available to clients who have applied to Teagasc to assist them with a scheme application. The planner will visit them on farm and meet them in the Teagasc office when required. Payments for plans will be made to Teagasc.

The GLAS scheme is designed to build on the success of REPS (Rural Environment Protection Scheme) and AEOS (Agri-Environment Options Scheme) which encouraged farmers to farm in an environmentally friendly manner.

GLAS will be a five-year scheme with a maximum payment of €5,000 annually for up to 50,000 farmers, with an expectation that 30,000 will be accepted in the first year.
In order to qualify for payment, farmers will have to undertake specified environmental actions based on a plan prepared by an approved planner. A nutrient management plan will also be required.
Access to the scheme will be on a priority basis.