Increased access for farmers to the ACRES programme, compensation payments to cover the cost of designations and a standalone welfare scheme for sucklers are the big ticket items in the Budget 2023 submission from the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA).
The INHFA said all applicants who wished to enter ACRES should be accommodated within the scheme.
The hill farmer body also insisted that the average ACRES payments had to hit the predicted levels of €5,000 for general applicants and €7,000 for those in the co-operation category.
The INHFA said landowners had to be compensated for the cost of designations. It said a payments of €240/ha was required. This equates to a total investment of around €200m.
In the suckler sector, the INHFA is seeking an additional suckler support scheme similar to BEEP.
The farm body claimed payments of €100/cow could be linked to the delivery of specific welfare measures.
The farm body estimates that the cost of such a scheme will be in the region of €85m.
In addition, the INHFA called for the annual budget for marketing suckler beef to be increased to €4m.
In the sheep sector, the INHFA has called for support payments under the Sheep Improvement Programme to be increased from €12/ewe to €20/ewe. This will require a further €25m in funding. In addition, the INHFA is calling for:
A €50m top-up on ANC payments as a further fodder support measure.Limiting the forestry premium payments to farmers and extending the timeframe for broadleaf trees.Stamp duty reliefs to be rolled over.
Increased access for farmers to the ACRES programme, compensation payments to cover the cost of designations and a standalone welfare scheme for sucklers are the big ticket items in the Budget 2023 submission from the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA).
The INHFA said all applicants who wished to enter ACRES should be accommodated within the scheme.
The hill farmer body also insisted that the average ACRES payments had to hit the predicted levels of €5,000 for general applicants and €7,000 for those in the co-operation category.
The INHFA said landowners had to be compensated for the cost of designations. It said a payments of €240/ha was required. This equates to a total investment of around €200m.
In the suckler sector, the INHFA is seeking an additional suckler support scheme similar to BEEP.
The farm body claimed payments of €100/cow could be linked to the delivery of specific welfare measures.
The farm body estimates that the cost of such a scheme will be in the region of €85m.
In addition, the INHFA called for the annual budget for marketing suckler beef to be increased to €4m.
In the sheep sector, the INHFA has called for support payments under the Sheep Improvement Programme to be increased from €12/ewe to €20/ewe. This will require a further €25m in funding. In addition, the INHFA is calling for:
A €50m top-up on ANC payments as a further fodder support measure.Limiting the forestry premium payments to farmers and extending the timeframe for broadleaf trees.Stamp duty reliefs to be rolled over. 
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