Farmers who are losing their Areas of Natural Constraint payments will see the loss cushioned with higher degressive payments.

They will receive 80% of the value of their payment in 2019 and 40% of its value in 2020. Originally in 2020, they were to get 20% of their payment.

“I appreciate that for anyone losing a payment it is not an insignificant loss,” the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said after securing the increased payment from Brussels.

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Around 700 townlands will be taken out of the ANC with the new maps affecting an estimated 760 farmers.

IFA rural development committee chair Joe Brady acknowledged the move, but he said that the IFA’s focus at this stage is on the independent appeal body to get area removed taken back in as well as areas that should have been included re-examined with a view to eligibility.

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