The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that farmers with Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) land will be able to apply to the €56m Fodder Support Scheme.
Originally, ANC category 1 land, designated as 'mountain' by the Department, had been displayed as ineligible for the scheme when it was first opened for applications on Friday.
The Department says this land will now be eligible to apply on where the applicant commits to cut and conserve silage and/or hay on the land before 5 September 2022.
Advice
The Department says it advises farmers with ANC category 1 land to not submit an application under the fodder scheme until it announces that the application system has been updated.
This announcement will come directly to farmers via SMS text message.
Farmers without ANC category 1 land who wish to apply for the Fodder Support Scheme can do so either themselves or through their adviser up to 2 August 2022 by logging on to the exceptional aid system on agfood.ie.
The terms and conditions of the scheme have now been updated and are available on the Department’s website here.
Criticism
The move by the Department follows criticism by farm organisations of the original exclusion of farmers with such ANC land.
Up to 30,000 farmers could have been left ineligible for the payment, according to the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association.
SHARING OPTIONS