PRESSURE is mounting this week on Agriculture Minister, Charlie McConalogue, to make changes in the new ACRES environmental scheme which would enable more farmers to get signed up before the November 21 deadline.

IFA National Rural Development Chair, Michael Biggins, is this week seeking a meeting with Minister McConalogue in an effort to ensure that all farmers wishing to participate in the scheme are accepted into it, in this tranche.

The IFA are also seeking to extend the November 21 deadline for application by four weeks to December 19 as planners, consultants and farmers are struggling to get applications finalised over the next week and a half.

East Galway Independent TD, Seán Canney, said that a four-week extension to the deadline would allow ‘some breathing space’ and give advisors/planners the time to carry out the mandatory farm inspection.

“Every farmer joining the scheme needs to engage an approved FAS and ACRES trained agricultural advisor to prepare and submit an ACRES application on their behalf.

‘I will be raising this issue with the Minister for Agriculture as the closing date will not be met by many farmers due to the number of applications. The department envisage that up to 50,000 farmers will join the scheme,” said Deputy Canney.

Connacht IFA Chair, Pat Murphy, told the Farming Tribune that it would be a huge financial blow to farmers and their families in the West of Ireland if they didn’t get into the scheme in this tranche.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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