Farmers are being urged to act swiftly in applying for Non-Productive Investment actions on their farms.

The deadline for farmers to apply for NPI actions under the ACRES CP (Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme) programme is Thursday 31 October.

The initiative aims to give farmers an opportunity to enhance their ACRES payments by engaging in accessible and impactful environmental actions.

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Which actions to choose is determined by the farmers themselves and they can choose to repeat these actions again next year.

Fergal Monaghan, programme director, said it promotes sustainable farming practices while addressing biodiversity loss in Ireland.

“Engaging in NPI actions is not just about enhancing payments; it’s about making a meaningful contribution to our environment, the actions are designed to be accessible to farmers across all types of landscapes and we want to see more farmers engage in these actions, even two or three could have a lasting impression.

“Actions like planting trees, planting small woodlands or orchards are all very achievable, wild bird cover, riparian margins, conservation of heritage sites are all very manageable.”

Online advise

To assist farmers in identifying the right actions for their specific circumstances, ACRES CP teams produced over 30 short videos, with tips and advice on good versus bad locations and correct implementation notes for farm advisers and farmers to explore.

This platform, named ‘Actions Explorer’, is available on the acresireland.ie website.

This resource provides tailored recommendations based on individual farm profiles by choosing the scorecard associated with their land, helping farmers select actions that will have the most significant environmental impact while fitting with their own preferences for their land management.

ACRES CP communications manager, Alan Haverty, said that by equipping farmers with the right tools and resources, they can foster a culture of sustainability.

“We’re focused on providing useful tools to the farm advisers, so that they feel better equipped to advise farmers on which actions to apply for and which would have a significant impact to their farmers' land.”