The gap between the highest and lowest paying actions across the three main grassland measures outlined in the proposed Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) equates to €300/ha per year.

The management of intensive grassland next to a watercourse is set to pay farmers €502/ha up to a limit of 5ha, while the results-based low-input grassland and extensively grazed pasture actions will pay rates of up to €400/ha and €200/ha respectively.

To avail of the highest-paying grassland action, farms will have to be stocked at 100kg organic N/ha or higher in 2021. Grazing will not be permitted on these intensive grassland parcels from 1 October to 15 March each year.

Farmers opting for the results-based low input grassland action can receive a payment of €400/ha if their fields score highly when assessed but this could drop to €225/ha for the lowest-scoring fields with lower sward diversity or where negative indicator species are present. The extensive grazing action will only pay €200/ha over the course of ACRES. A limit of 40kg chemical N/ha will be imposed on these parcels and farmers cannot top between 15 March and 1 July.

A late meadow bonus of an extra €50/ha will be paid for either hay or silage preserved on both low-input and extensively grazed grassland, with the main requirement being that fields must be closed for six weeks prior to cutting.

In the extensively grazed pasture action, rushes may be controlled by topping or by weed licking. However, no more than 50% of any parcel entered into this action may have either method used in any one year.