The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has called the Agri-climate and Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) the most demanding and ambitious scheme of its kind in the EU.

This comes following a meeting organised by Luke Ming Flanagan with European Commission officials.

Speaking after this meeting, INHFA national president Vincent Roddy said: “The ACRES programme is only one of four results-based programmes and, according to Commission officials, the most ambitious.”

He said this ambition is creating major problems for farmers in Ireland, especially those operating in ACRES co-operative areas.

On assessing the results-based model operating in the other three EU countries (Germany, Spain and Slovenia), Roddy outlined how “their programmes are primarily rewards-based, unlike what we have in Ireland where farmers are penalised, often for issues outside of their control, such as invasive species and the cutting of turf by people that have an established turbary right”.

Changes

The INHFA has called for changes to the scorecard and rates of pay, especially for farmers on commonages involved in the scheme.

In discussion with Commission officials, the INHFA president said: “They outlined on a number of occasions the flexibility Ireland has with regard to the development and implementation of the ACRES programme.”

This he added “is an important point as we move into a national review of the ACRES programme".

“Ireland’s desire to be best in the class isn’t just impacting on farmer incomes, but has also undermined confidence which will have long-term implications for future agri-environment schemes.”