The pressure on advisers and farmers to get important Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) applications submitted has intensified majorly, following the announcement of closing dates in quick succession.

The closing dates for Tranche 2 of ACRES (5.30pm on Wednesday 13 December).

The submission of applications for Non-Productive Investments (5.30pm on Wednesday 6 December) are just a week apart with the closing date for Tranche 2 of the OFS (Friday 8 December) nestled in the middle.

Tight window

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue announced the opening of Tranche 2 of ACRES on Friday 24 November.

There is just a 14-day window, or 19 days including weekends, for plans to be submitted, and farm advisers warn farmers that there may not be enough capacity in the system to get all plans submitted.

Reacting to the tight timeframe, Agricultural Consultants’ Association (ACA) president Noel Feeney said that advisers will “work around the clock” to get as many applications submitted as possible, but warned that farmers are also taking a “gamble” as they are not guaranteed a place.

“The bottom line is that, with only 4,000 places left, it was always going to be a tight deadline. There really needs to be more funding announced to allow all farmers interested in the scheme in.

"There is big interest in ACRES and there could be around 60,000 to 65,000 farmers looking to enter.”

Prioritising plans

Some advisers have told the Irish Farmers Journal that they are working on a first-come, first-served basis, based on interest lodged in recent months.

Others state they are not likely to get all farmers on their books covered, and while some would prefer to prioritise Tranche 1 applications, the fact that all applications were accepted in Tranche 1 has cautioned many against turning anyone away on this premise.

One adviser, who did not wish to be named, said: “I advised a small cohort of farmers against applying in Tranche 1 on the basis that I did not think their applications would be accepted.

"These farmers are very sore over missing out and I cannot take such a stance again. I am letting them know that the risk stands with them, with only 4,000 places available and advising them that they may lose the cost of submitting a plan if they miss out.”

Final step

The opening of ACRES allows advisers to complete the final step of the application process. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said: “I am pleased that the ACRES system is now open for Tranche 2 applicants and ACRES advisers can, on behalf of their clients, formally submit applications.

"While some advisers have already submitted Expressions of Interest and started preparing draft Farm Sustainability Plans (FSPs), these can now be finalised and submitted with the final application – the important third and final step in this process.”

NPI workload

The more immediate deadline pressure faced by many advisers, especially those along the western seaboard, is the deadline of 6 December 2023 for the submission of NPIs.

In excess of 18,500 farmers participating in ACRES Co-Operation are eligible to submit an application.

The NPIs provide farmers participating in the eight ACRES Co-operation zones a chance to enhance the level of payment received. The maximum payment in ACRES Co-Operation is €7,000 per annum, but where NPIs and landscape actions are selected, the payment can be increased to €10,500.

Minister McConalogue said: “The inclusion of a specific approach in identified high environmental priority areas across the country, namely the ACRES Co-operation approach, was a major development in the design of ACRES.

"NPIs are an integral part of ACRES that will help farmers better manage their lands. Such investment may, in turn, result in higher scores being achieved for their lands, which should consequently increase their annual results-based payment.”

The minister added: “Advisers have been able, since the end of October, to draft up the NPIs Annual Work plans for their clients and I am now encouraging advisers to formally submit these plans in advance of the deadline”.

ACA president Noel Feeney says the latest deadlines have come following a very busy period, with advisers working long hours to submit scorecards used to calculate results-based payments, hold ACRES training, and deal with numerous queries and applications across a myriad of schemes.

He said that advisers are “in a very, very busy time to get farmers’ scheme work done”, and “the schemes taking up the most of their time vary depending on region”.

Teagasc

A spokesperson for Teagasc told the Irish Farmers Journal that the majority of Teagasc’s ACRES courses for Tranche 1 of the scheme have been completed and any remaining courses will now be pushed back into 2024 to allow for the focus to turn to new applications until 13 December.

Under the scheme, applicants must complete ACRES training in Year 1 to release their payment for the first year of the scheme.