Farmers have until Wednesday to complete many of the actions required for GLAS III. It is essential that selected actions are completed to Department specifications by the 31 May deadline in order to avoid any potential penalties to their GLAS payments.

The Irish Farmers Journal has gone through the steps involved when completing the most common GLAS measures to ensure they are to specification.

Birds, bats and bees

A popular option for farmers was installing bird and bat boxes – a step-by-step guide to constructing and installing them can be found here. Sand habitats and boxes for bees have a low labour and capital requirement and were a popular choice for farmers in the scheme.

Watercourses

Other measures, such as protecting watercourses from bovines, may require a larger investment, similar to establishing a riparian margin along a watercourse.

The establishment of an arable grass margin to provide a habitat for flora and fauna was an option for tillage farmers and must also be completed by the 31 May deadline.

Fallow

Another option popular among tillage farmers was the establishment of a fallow land area to provide food and habitat for ground-nesting birds.

Wild bird cover

Wild bird cover can be established in one of two ways – by using a one-year or two-year seed mix. The composition of the mix and the cost will vary depending on the farmer’s choice.

Full coverage: GLAS countdown

GLAS countdown: what actions need to be completed this week?

The 31 May deadline to have GLAS III measures completed by is fast approaching for farmers.