ACRES balancing payments to commence this week

The balancing of payments in respect of participation in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) in 2023 are commencing this week.

Payments will be issued to ACRES Tranche one participants across both the ACRES general and ACRES co-operation approaches. 

As participants received either an advance payment last November or an interim payment of €4,000 or €5,000 in February and March of this year, the €21.1 million in payments being announced today are balancing payments.

Deputy Michael Ring TD welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, TD, calling farmers ‘the forefront of protecting and enhancing our natural environment.’

Following the issue of payments, each recipient will receive a letter detailing information about the scores that determined the level of their payment.  

The Department, in conjunction with the ACRES co-operation project (CP) teams, has prepared a series of information leaflets to provide an overview of the way in which payments are calculated and these are available on the department’s website.

Additionally, the department advised that there will be opportunities for ACRES CP participants to add value and increase the level of their annual payment over the lifetime of their contracts. 

A farmer’s contract under ACRES is for five years, and ACRES CP participants will be able to avail of Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) and Landscape Actions (LAs) to improve environmental outcomes and to increase the score received and, ultimately, the level of payment.

“The ACRES Scheme aims to combat biodiversity decline while providing income support to farm families.  I am pleased that farmers will receive their balancing payments under this scheme from this week,” concluded Deputy Ring.