The Department of Agriculture is encouraging all farmers participating in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) co-operation project to consider applying to complete non-productive investments (NPIs).

Up to €17,500 in funding can be drawn down above the core annual payment over the five-year period of the contract.

The level of funding for NPIs and landscape actions can also be topped up with unused funding from the core budget where an applicant is not drawing down the maximum payment.

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The Department explains that this ensures that farmers who do not receive a score of eight (results-based payments) and who are restricted on payments they could receive from ACRES general actions (due to the ring-fencing rule) and organic farmers who receive reduced payments for scores eight, nine or 10 will have the ability to draw down the full funding of €52,500 over the five years.

NPI actions

There are three categories of proposed NPIs to be made available to ACRES co-operation participants.

  • Section 1 NPI habitat and wildlife support.
  • Section 2 NPI infrastructure
  • Section 3 NPI scrub / track (Burren/Aran CP zone only).
  • The table below summarises the NPI listing, the payment rate and maximum payment per NPI.