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Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES)
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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What the proposed Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is
A new agri-environmental climate measure, to be known as the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (‘ACRES’), has been proposed as part of Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan.
Using a habitats-based approach, ACRES aims to contribute significantly to achieving improved biodiversity, climate, air and water quality outcomes.
It is proposed that, similar to GLAS, all farmers will have access to the ACRES.
These will be achieved through an ACRES General approach and an ACRES Co-operation approach.
What the difference is between an ACRES General approach and an ACRES Co-operation approach
• an ACRES General approach available nationally (outside of the high priority geographical area defined for the ACRES Co-operation approach) will offer a range of actions for individual farmers, both targeted and general, to be undertaken
• an ACRES Co-operation approach, available to farmers in defined high priority geographical areas, will involve results-based payments as well as bespoke farm and landscape actions. Farmers participating in this approach will have the assistance of a Local Co-operation Project (CP) Team to assist with implementation of the scheme at local level.
Both approached require the preparation of a Farm Sustainability Plan to be completed and submitted by an accredited Farm Advisory Scheme advisor for ACRES.
• You may only apply for the ACRES General if your holding falls outside of the high priority geographical area as defined for the ACRES Co-operation approach.
• You may only apply for the ACRES Co-operation approach if you have 3 hectares or more or 20% or more of your farm holding (whichever is the lower) declared as forage/habitat in the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme(BPS) within ACRES Co-operation area.
How to qualify
The ACRES General approach will be open to all categories of active farmers eligible in the defined mapped area for ACRES General - the uncoloured area in the map accessible on our website [INSERT LINK*]
The ACRES Co-operation approach will be open to all categories of active farmers eligible in the defined mapped area for ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) zones - shown as colour-coded zones on the website.
• Be aged 18 years or over on date of submission of the application for support
• Be the holder of an active business identity. Herd ‘owner’ status is required as 'Herd Keeper' is not acceptable
• Have all lands farmed declared in the applicant’s name on the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS)
• Have submitted a valid BPS 2021 application
• All lands brought into the scheme must be declared in the applicant’s 2022 BPS and declared on the applicant’s Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme application for all subsequent years of participation.
Terms of Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES)
Rates of payment
• ACRES General approach is structured as a ‘package’ and offers a maximum payment of €7,311 per applicant per full calendar year. The level of payment a farmer may achieve will be determined by the payment rates for the actions select and undertaken satisfactorily.
• ACRES Co-operative approach is structured as a ‘package’ and offers a maximum payment of €10,500 per applicant per full calendar year. This is broken into results-based maximum payment of €7,000 and additional non-productive investment and landscape maximum payments of €3,500. The level of payment you can achieve will be determined by results-based scorecards, non-productive investments, and landscape actions, which will be designed for your land-types and region.
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