GLAS farmers will not be eligible for the 'new REPS' pilot scheme in 2021, Minister Charlie McConalogue has revealed.

“It’s not an either/or,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Irish Farmers Journal.

“It’s very important to renew your scheme. If you decide not to take up the GLAS scheme extension, the new pilot scheme will not be available to you.”

He stressed that the tight deadline was not one of his own choosing, but that Commission approval was required before an extension could be granted and participation in the scheme had to be confirmed before 1 January.

Rolling over

The 36,000 farmers exiting GLAS following the completion of their five years do have the option of rolling over, but must accept the invitation to do so before 1 January.

Minister McConalogue stressed the importance of all eligible farmers meeting this deadline.

"I want to make clear to farmers that that is a necessary deadline to comply with European regulations if we want to have a full year of the schemes."

He urged farmers to make sure they accept the offer before then.

"We've made it as easy as possible. You can text yes or no, or go on the Department website and accept. I don't like putting things on between Christmas and the new year, but I didn't have an option here."

It’s on the basis that those who were in GLAS would be able to continue

"We’ve put a lot of effort into working with Minister McGrath to get the funding to be able to continue GLAS,” the Minister told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“It’s on the basis that those who were in GLAS would be able to continue”.

He continued: “The additional fresh funding will contribute towards the pilot scheme for those who didn’t have the option of extending their GLAS.

"It will be aimed specifically at those who had come out of AEOS and who were excluded from GLAS and were unable to take it up, that’s a really important category. But it's also for others that aren’t currently in a GLAS scheme."

Additional initiatives

The Minister confirmed that there will be additional agri-environmental initiatives in 2021, open to all farmers.

“These will be funded from the €79m in new funding I got in the 2021 budget, and that will be available to all farmers, those in GLAS, those in the new scheme and those that are not in any scheme.”

He said he is seeking engagement and consultation with farmers between now and early- to mid-January in relation to the precise nature of those measures.