Further details of new agri-environment scheme announced
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The new national agri-environment scheme will be known as the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has today made the name announcement for the €1.5bn agri-environment scheme which is proposed as part of Ireland’s draft Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan.
The announcement of the scheme name formed part of the update provided by Mr McConalogue on the proposed measure.
In providing the update, he stressed that approval for Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan by the EU Commission is still being awaited, so all the proposals may be subject to change.
It is proposed that, like the Green, Low-Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS), all farmers will have the opportunity to apply for ACRES.
However, there are two entry approaches in this proposed new scheme.
The first is an ACRES 'general approach', available nationally, which offers a range of measures (both targeted and general); and the second is an ACRES co-operation approach, available to farmers in defined high-priority geographical areas.
A cross-departmental working group has defined eight areas in the country as having particular environmental characteristics. Farmers in those areas may engage in the new measure through co-operation project teams.
These eight areas identified in a map published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are in the following parts of the country: the Burren; Donegal; east south-east; mid-west southern uplands; north Connacht-Ulster; north-west Connacht; south Mayo-Connemara; and west Cork-Kerry.
All farmers who apply under the Basic Payment Scheme will have the opportunity to apply for ACRES, with the approach for which they are eligible determined by the location of their land.
An expected 20,000 farmers in the eight areas engaging with the new scheme through the co-operation project teams will benefit from higher payment rates, up to a maximum of €10,500 per year, with an average payment of around €7,400.
The remaining farmers participating in the general option are expected to receive a maximum payment of around €7,300, with an average payment of €5,000.
Attending the announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the €9.8bn CAP programme for the next five years, co-funded with the EU, is an "ambitious statement" by this Government.
"It meets the commitment in the Programme for Government to design a flagship environmental scheme under the new CAP that is user-friendly for farmers, will deliver broader environmental and biodiversity benefits, and aligns financial support with climate, forestry, and land use objectives," Mr Martin said.
"Furthermore, the allocation of €1.5bn in the proposed draft CAP Strategic Plan for this scheme over the next CAP period illustrates the scale of the Government’s commitment to deliver an ambitious and innovative agri-environment climate measure.”
Mr McConalogue described ACRES as an "exciting and farmer-friendly scheme" to address biodiversity decline, while delivering income support for up to 50,000 farm families.
"This is the highest amount of money ever committed by a Government to a single agri-environmental scheme so it is great news to see ACRES come this far," he said.
“Farmers have been playing a significant role in the protection of the environment and enhancing biodiversity through their participation in agri-environment schemes down through the years and I was delighted to be able to extend their GLAS contracts during the CAP transitional period.
"The extension of contracts facilitated continuity in the provision of environmental benefits and, subject to the approval of the draft CAP Strategic Plan by the EU Commission, my department is working towards commencement of ACRES contracts from January 1, 2023 to maintain such continuity.”
Mr McConalogue also announced that contracts have been awarded, following a public procurement process, for the management of the eight project areas proposed for the ACRES co-operation approach.
While approval of the draft CAP Strategic Plan by the EU Commission is awaited, it was necessary to commence the process to put in place these management teams, to be known as ACRES co-operation project teams, so that the scheme can commence on January 1, 2023 as planned.
ACRES co-operation builds on the learnings of the current European Innovation Partnership projects (EIPs) and, using a habitats-based approach, aims to contribute to long-term environmental improvement.
Farmers participating in ACRES co-operation will be supported by one of these new teams, who will assist with the implementation and development of the scheme at a local level using the collaborative approach trialled in the EIPs.
The teams will now begin work developing local action plans for their zones and engaging with farmers and advisers in their locality.
Farmers will be able to identify the ACRES approach for which they are eligible by logging on to the department’s online system AgFood from Wednesday, June 22, or through an SMS facility.
In addition, ACRES advisor training is scheduled for early next month.
