There has been a surge in applications submitted under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme ahead of the deadline of 11.59pm on Wednesday 7 December.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that in the region of 15,000 applications could have been submitted over the last week, with applications still flooding in as we went to print on Wednesday.

Reports indicate there are well over 35,000 applications, possibly as many as 40,000 applications submitted, well exceeding the Department’s target of 30,000.

All eyes will now be on Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and his Department to see if there is any scope to approve a higher number of applications in tranche one.

The minister previously said he is exhausting all avenues to accommodate farmers who finish environmental scheme contracts in 2022.

Advisers’ attention has quickly turned to the 9 December deadline for the Organic Farming Scheme. The Irish Farmers Journal believes over 1,000 new applicants have already applied, which would bring total participation to over 3,000 farmers).

Meanwhile, there have been 67,451 applications submitted for the Fodder Support Scheme.

This is over 95% of the participants who were eligible to apply before the deadline of 5 December.