The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has called for a further extension to the ACRES application deadline.

The original deadline for farmers and their advisers to get their applications in for the environmental scheme was 21 November. However, after pressure from farm organisations and advisory bodies, the deadline was extended last week to Wednesday 7 December. Farmers now have a little under three weeks to get their applications in.

This deadline extension provided by the Department of Agriculture “may not be enough to allow planners to make applications for all farmers who have expressed interest in joining the scheme”, according to IFA rural development chair Michael Biggins.

“A further extension would allow every farmer who wants to submit an application a chance at doing so. Rushed applications will only lead to shortcomings for farmers down the line,” he said.

Over-subscription

Biggins also warned that the first tranche of ACRES, which has a budget to cater for 30,000 farmers, is “likely to be significantly oversubscribed”.

IFA rural development chair and Mayo farmer Michael Biggins. \ Andrew Downes

He claimed the tranche-based approach is likely to leave some farmers without an environment scheme payment for a year.

“This could be avoided by either offering a bridging payment to farmers who are not successful in tranche one of ACRES that matches their previous agri-environment scheme payment or alternatively pay an upfront payment in 2023 for tranche two ACRES participants, similar to the way REPS payments were made in the past.

“It is vital that no farmer who wishes to participate in ACRES is left without an agri-environment scheme payment for a year,” he said.

GLAS

The Mayo farmer described the GLAS advance payments issued to 32,600 farmers this week and worth some €113m as a “vital source of income”.

“It’s important that all remaining participants are also paid without delay,” he said.