Department of Agriculture officials have been instructed to look at all options available for farmers who will be locked out of an agri-environmental scheme next year.

Under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) 30,000 farmers are targeted to take part in the scheme next year, leaving around 20,000 farmers without an agri-environmental payment next year. Now, the Department is examining how these farmers could be accommodated.

Applications for farmers who want to take part in the scheme from 2024 are expected to open in June or July of next year, an Irish Farmers Journal CAP meeting in Cootehill, Co Cavan, heard on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, 11,848 Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) applications have been completed and submitted to the Department of Agriculture.

The Department is expecting 30,000 farmers to apply to this tranche of the scheme.

Deadline

The deadline to apply to the scheme has been extended by two weeks from Monday 21 November until Wednesday 7 December.

Advisers had raised concerns that there was not enough time to complete and submit applications.