ACRES Tranche 2 to open in mid-October - IFA

DAFM has confirmed to IFA that Tranche 2 of ACRES will open for applications in mid-October, with no change to the terms & conditions.

IFA Rural Development Chair Michael Biggins said “Getting ACRES Tranche 2 re-opened for applications as soon as possible was a key priority for IFA, and something we have continually pushed for.

“It’s vital that Government devote adequate resources so anybody looking to get into Tranche 2 is accommodated. We need to learn from the lessons of the past. There is considerable demand among farmers to get into Tranche 2.

“Farmers are fully committed to improving the environmental and economic sustainability of their farming enterprises. 97% of BISS applicants have committed to Eco-schemes, and the National Liming Scheme and Tranche 1 of ACRES were hugely oversubscribed.

“Government needs to tap into this momentum; remove the red-tape and bureaucracy, and devote necessary funding to deliver for the farm; the economy; and the environment,” he said.

“We also need greater clarity of where we stand. We can’t have a situation, again, of rules changing mid-stream like we had with GAEC 6 and catch crops, impacting on-farm operations and potentially payments received,” he added.

“It’s completely unfair and creates huge uncertainty and stress on farmers trying to run a family business.

“It needs to be avoided and this year, at a minimum, DAFM need to apply maximum flexibilities and ensure full payments are received, on time,” he said.