Farm organisations have welcomed news that the Area of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme will include 700 additional townlands.

However, given that 2% of townlands will lose their ANC status they’ve insisted that an effective appeals process is needed for farmers.

Every opportunity should be afforded to farmers in excluded areas to appeal, president of the IFA Joe Healy said, while welcoming the inclusion of areas unfairly excluded in the past.

Deputy president of the ICMSA Lorcan McCabe insisted the two-year phase out period was inadequate.

The recognition of more heavy land, particularly in Limerick, under the new maps was welcomed by the ICSA rural development chair Seamus Sherlock.

The need for payments to remain with farmers on the lowest incomes was also a common theme among farm organisations.

“Areas with the highest disadvantage must be the priority areas,” the president of the INHFA Colm O’Donnell said.

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Calls for an effective ANC appeals process

The changes to ANC have been broadly welcomed, but organisations say the appeals process needs to effective.