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The Biodiversity Regeneration in a Dairying Environment (BRIDE) project will target farmers in the Bride valley in east Cork.
One of the key payments will be targeted at establishing 2m-wide field margins, according to project manager Donal Sheehan.
“The majority of farmers would have the electric fence right up against the ditch with no place for wildflowers. We want to reward farmers for leaving this margin. Farmers will be paid to install the fence and then every year of the project the field margin will be scored depending on the amount and variation of species that are growing in it. The more species means a higher score and a higher payment.
“The project will be completely results-driven. It is a way of paying farmers for public goods which they should be rewarded for,” Donal said.
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Farmers will receive payments to not cut hedgerows and let them mature, although it will depend on the species of the hedgerow.
The Bride valley in Cork is an area of intensive agriculture, with many dairy and tillage farmers, so the scheme had to be designed to cater for all enterprises. Tillage farmers will receive payments to leave winter stubble in place until 15 March before ploughing. Farmers who choose this option will not be able to apply a pre- or post-harvest spray.
Another option for farmers is to excavate a pond as a wildlife habitat. The total funding for the five-year project is €1.1m. Farmers who enter into the project could expect an average payment of €2,000 to €3,000 a year, depending on what options they choose.
“There is very little species-rich grassland in this area, so farmers who have it would be paid to keep it,” Donal said. “We are hoping to take in 50 farmers and we will be prioritising clusters of farmers in the same area. There will be no bureaucracy for the farmers, there will be no planning fees or yearly payments to planners from the farmers.
“The project is geared towards being more workable for farmers,” Donal explained.
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