Schemes News & Deadlines

ACRES Catch Crops measure – know where you stand to avoid reduced payments

While the 30% grass/stubble lie-back requirement for catch crops, is more manageable, particularly for specialist tillage producers, farmers who chose the catch crops measure within ACRES (particularly those where catch crops provided Tier 2 approval and requires min 6ha planting) need to ensure they avoid reduced payments / penalty because of the lie-back requirements.

See DAFM Circular 14/2023 for potential penalties, and DAFM Circular 18/2023 on limited opportunity available, subject to specific requirements listed, to change parcel(s) location and optimise payment before 30^th Sept.

Horticulture Apprenticeship Scheme

The long awaiting Horticulture Apprenticeship Scheme is now launched. The apprenticeship in horticulture is for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in the horticultural sector or existing personnel employed in a horticultural facility that would like to gain a recognised qualification.

More detail is available here

Department of Agriculture Preliminary Checks and Area Monitoring System (AMS) notifications

Preliminary Checks (identifying potential over-claims, overlaps or dual claims) under the 2023 BISS and other area-based schemes are now being issued, as are first round AMS notifications (re the potential presence of artificial surfaces e.g., buildings, farmyard extensions and farm roadways, in land parcels(s)).

Farmers and advisors should check the correspondence section of their BISS online account, and avail of the opportunity to, where relevant, rectify issues with their BISS application without penalty. Farmers have until 5^th July 2023 to respond (via www.agfood.ie) to preliminary check notifications and until 10 July 2023 to respond to AMS notifications.

Should farmers wish to contact the department they can contact:

• 057 867 4422 in relation to queries on their BISS and other area-based schemes application, preliminary checks notifications, AMS notifications etc.
• 049 436 8288 in relation to queries on registering for www.agfood.ie – for example queries on lost passwords, how to register etc.

Farm Safety Scheme

The DAFM have launched a €1.5m Farm Safety support scheme, providing 60% grant aid to a maximum eligible cost of €100 per PTO shaft cover (for max 4 PTO covers) and €150 per quad bike (ATV) helmet (for max 2 helmets). For further information see here.

Claims for payment must be submitted by 29 September 2023.

Tillage Incentive Scheme 2023

Tillage Incentive Scheme 2023 opened until 7th July 2023. See here for more details.

TAMS 3

Closing of TAMS 3 tranche one extended to June 30th.

Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS)

An overview of the BISS scheme can be found here.

The full Terms & Conditions can be found here.