A total of 1,512 farmers had left the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) as of 2 August 2024, the Irish Farmers Journal has learned.Some 986 farmers have left the general stream of the scheme, while 526 have left the co-operation measure.
A total of 1,512 farmers had left the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) as of 2 August 2024, the Irish Farmers Journal has learned.
Some 986 farmers have left the general stream of the scheme, while 526 have left the co-operation measure.
The majority of those leaving the scheme had applied in tranche one, with just 181 leaving tranche two.
There are currently almost 55,000 active applicants between the two tranches of the scheme.
Scorecards
When asked how many hectares of land the Department of Agriculture had checked to ensure that ACRES scorecards were correct, a spokesperson said that there is a robust control system in place to ensure that the monies being paid under the scheme are being correctly administered.
“This involves both on-farm controls, including scoring of lands that were previously scored by an adviser, and assessments of scores assigned to commonages.
“It is not possible to give a total figure on the amount of land or scorecards that have undergone such checks as the controls are recorded on a herd basis,” the spokesperson said.
However, he did confirm that a “substantial number” of scorecards have been verified by the Department and the farmers concerned will be informed individually of the results of those inspections.
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