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MAJORITY OF FARMERS TO MISS OUT ON AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEME MAXIMUM PAYMENT

Feb 14, 2022 | Latest News, Press Releases | 0 comments

ICSA Rural Development chair Tim Farrell has said it is hugely disappointing that vast swathes of the country have been excluded from the co-operation measure of the new Agri-Environmental Climate Measure (AECM). “Eligible areas fall predominantly in counties along the western seaboard – while the midlands, north-west, most of Leinster and as well as Munster have been left out. Farmers in these areas can only hope to get a maximum payment of €7,000, as opposed to the €10,000 that would otherwise be on offer.”

Mr Farrell said despite the fact most farmers should see a modest increase in payments through the new Agri-Environment Scheme, massive inflation in input costs could potentially erase any gains. “This is why during the CAP negotiations ICSA argued very strongly for an Agri Environment Scheme that would deliver a maximum payment of €15,000. This would have afforded farmers the means to deliver on ambitious targets and reward them for their contribution, in a way that a likely average payment of just €5,000 cannot.”

Mr Farrell said it must also be remembered that farmers losing out on AECM are also the ones who lost out on convergence. “The penny must drop that farmers cannot be continuously expected to do more on climate change and biodiversity without adequate levels of financial support and reward.”

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ACRES PAYMENT DELAY UNACCEPTABLE – ICSA

ICSA president Dermot Kelleher has said it is unacceptable that some 18,600 farmers will have to wait until February 2024 to receive their ACRES payment. “ICSA, along with other farmer representatives, today (6 December) met with senior Department of Agriculture officials in Portlaoise for an update on payments from the various farm schemes. At this meeting we were informed that no participant of the Cooperation Project (CP) stream of ACRES tranche one will be paid until February at the earliest. This news will come as a devasting blow to all those farmers who have been already waiting far too long for their payments,” he said.

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