Councillors call for extension of deadline for agri scheme

An agricultural app is causing problems for farmers trying to access Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and Cllr Gerry Dolan asked the council to call on the Minister for Agriculture to extend the August 31 deadline. 

AgriSnap is a precision photo app that allows farmers to send land parcel pictures and information to a grant payments body to validate payments.

However, Cllr Dolan said that farmers are having difficulty using the technology.

"All farms in the scheme need to be scored with an app called AgriSnap. The app is giving numerous issues and it's not fit for purpose," he commented.  

He said that pressure needed to be put on the Minister to have "this extended, hopefully for two months."

ACRES co-operation is one of two approaches available to farmers in defined high-priority geographical areas, and involves results-based payments along with bespoke farm and landscape actions.

Farmers in the Co-operation measure must have their land scored over the summer months by advisors, as the scores achieved will be used to calculate the payments made. Scorecards must be submitted by the end of August however it was reported that there is concern over the workload involved this summer.

Cllr Brendan Barry explained further: "They are divided into a lot of parcels. I farm on about 100 acres and it is divided into 38 parcels so my advisor has to stand in the middle of each of those parcels and take a picture of it and do a full score card."

The score card will measure ecological integrity of grassland, peatland and scrubland. Cllr Barry continued: "It's a huge amount of work and they just won't have the time for doing it all."

The motion was supported by several of Cllr Dolan's colleagues.