Farmers could be granted a one-year reprieve from new CAP rules which would clamp down on farming activity on peatlands, the Irish Farmers Journal can reveal.

The new regime had been due to come into force next month.

The Department of Agriculture is currently seeking flexibility from the European Commission to push back the start date for the new rules under the CAP.

The regulations and the exact areas where they will apply are now to be agreed by summer 2024 and expected to come into effect from 2025.

Farmers will have to follow these rules, which could include a ban on ploughing peaty soils or land drainage restrictions, to receive payments.

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