The IFA has welcomed small changes made to the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) that will see the payment rate for extensively grazed grassland increase to €250/ha, up from the previously outlined €200/ha.

The area over which the rate will be paid has dropped from 10ha to 8ha in a move the IFA says will benefit smaller farmers.

The farm organisation had been pushing for the change in the months after the announcement of draft scheme plans, according to rural development chair Michael Biggins.

“This will help farmers with smaller holdings qualify for a higher payment under ACRES, which is a positive development and something we have been pressing strongly for months now,” Biggins said.

“It was vital this measure remained at 2ha to ensure farmers can build a decent ACRES payment on their farms.”

The rural development chair said the decision to keep the area which could be entered into the riparian zone measure at 2ha was needed to make the scheme worthwhile for farmers.

“The mooted reduction to 1ha was something IFA made clear we could not accept, particularly given that many farmers had already plans drafted up based on 2ha of a riparian zone,” he said.

Biggins also said there were ways around leaving farmers who wished to participate in ACRES without a payment next year, as the Department had been faced with similar situations when moving between schemes in the past.

“This can be done by offering a bridging payment to farmers who are not successful in tranche one of ACRES that matches their previous agri-environmental scheme payment, or alternatively by paying an upfront payment in 2023 for tranche two ACRES participants, similar to the way REPS payments were in the past,” he said.

Hill farmers

IFA hill chair Caillin Conneely insisted changes are necessary to facilitate farmers participating in the co-operation scheme areas.

“€7,000 is currently ring-fenced for results-based and general measures before adding non-productive investments and landscape actions,” said Conneely.

“Flexibility is needed for those who may not meet that €7,000 ceiling in order for them to maximise their payment”.