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Agriland
06-08-2025
- Business
- Agriland
What are the Landscape Actions and how much will they pay?
Last week Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon confirmed that Landscape Actions (LAs) are now open for applications from Co-operation Project (CP) teams in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). These actions will support farmers in the CP approach of the scheme to target specific environmental priorities, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Landscape Actions are large-scale environmental actions focusing on issues such as threatened species, water quality protection, invasive species management and encroaching scrub management in species-rich grassland. The list of potential Landscape Actions and their specifications is currently in a draft state. It will remain in a draft state until a public consultation process on an appropriate assessment, required under environmental legislation, of the Landscape Actions has been completed. That public consultation has now been launched, the details of which are on the department website. The closing date of this consultation in August 15. In the meantime, the department has published a list of potential LAs, of which there a several dozen. These LAs are outlined in five groups, namely: habitat and wildlife support; invasive species; hydromorphology; scrub removal track installation; and infrastructure. The first three of these groups of LAs require training to be undertaken by participants. As can be see in the table below, this training is itself listed as an action for which payment can be received in those three groups. Payments to cover the cost of taking these training courses is €125 per one three-hour course, up to maximum of three courses. The list of Landscape Actions also includes the payment rate; the action unit (such as a metre, hectare, etc); the maximum payable action units per LA Annual Work Plan (AWP); and the maximum payment per AWP. For AWPs pertaining to registered farm partnerships, the maximum payable units and maximum payment per AWP will be multiplied by the number of holdings involved, up to a maximum of three holdings. The list of Landscape Actions in the five groups are as follows: LA name Payment per unit Action unit Max units Max payment 3-hour habitat support training €125 3-hour course 3 €375 Breeding wader delayed mowing €135 Hectare 15 €2,025 Construction of lesser horseshoe bat roost €963 Roost 2 €1,926 Corncrake early late cover crop €4,665 Hectare 0.4 €1,866 Corncrake early late cover natural €15,341 Hectare 0.2 €3,068 Corncrake delayed mowing/grazing €185 Hectare 15 €2,775 Decommissioning sheep dipping station €355 Station 2 €710 Exclosure €1,562 Hectare 4 €6,248 Geese and swans on grassland €150 Hectare 15 2,250 Permanent vegetation change 0.05ha €1,389 Woodland 2 €2,778 Permanent vegetation change 0.09ha €2,370 Woodland 2 €4,740 Predator proof fence €3.40 Metre 1,500 €5,098 Predator proof fence monitor (<500m) €620 Site 4 €2,480 Predator proof fence monitor (>500m) €931 Site 4 €3,724 Post fire molinia management €840 Hectare 4 €3,360 Removal of conifer treeline (small trees) €8 Metre 1,000 €8,000 Removal of conifer (large trees) €15 Metre 750 €11,250 Rural restorative lighting €351 Light fitting 10 €3,510 Removal of waste from commonage sites €349 Unit 5 €1,745 Targeted grazing (bovines on molinia) €717 Hectare 5 €3,585 Targeted grazing (equines gorse/molinia) €717 Hectare 5 €3,585 Targeted grazing (equines on gorse) €1,073 Site 2 €2,146 Targeted grazing (goats) €1,768 Site 2 €3,536 Virtual fencing €404 Collar 20 €8,080 Dry stone wall full rebuild €12 Metre 750 €9,000 Wildfire-friendly mowing €76 Hectare 15 €1,140 Bracken strimming €835.44 Hectare 2 €1,670.88 Bracken mechanical €242.76 Hectare 6 €1,456.56 Repair of stone walls 2 sides €3.03 Metre 1,000 €3,030 Repair of stone walls 1 side €1.59 Metre 500 €795 Riparian margin tree planting €13.93 Tree 120 €1,671.60 Riparian margin €5.50 Metre 1,000 €5,500 Riparian margin (Sheep fencing) €9.48 Metre 1,000 €9,480 Wader scrapes €265.28 Scrape 5 €1,326.40 LA name Payment per unit Action unit Max units Max payment 3-hour training €125 3-hour course 3 €375 Giant hogweed management (manual) €9,881 Hectare 1 €9,881 Giant hogweed management (chemical) €7,987 Hectare 1 €7,987 Giant hogweed follow up €5,006 Hectare 2 €10,012 Gunnera management €12,157 Hectare 2 €24,314 Gunnera follow up €6,461 Hectare 2 €12,922 Himalayan balsam management €5,647 Hectare 4 €22,588 Himalayan balsam follow up €2,572 Hectare 4 €10,288 Japanese knotweed (foliar spray) €8,279 Hectare 2 €16,558 Japanese knotweed (stem injection) €30,490 Hectare 1 €30,490 Japanese knotwood follow -up €3,812 Hectare 3 €11,436 Rhododendron/cherry laurel (severe) €20,250 Hectare 2 €40,500 Rhododendron/cherry laurel (high) €14,120 Hectare 3 €42,360 Rhododendron/cherry laurel (med) €6,951 Hectare 4 €27,804 Rhododendron/cherry laurel (low) €4,121 Hectare 10 €41,210 Rhododendron/cherry laurel follow up €1,064 Hectare 20 €21,280 Salmonberry management €8,625 Hectare 2 €17,250 Salmonberry follow up €4,350 Hectare 2 €8,700 LA name Payment per unit Action unit Max units Max payment 3-hour training €125 3-hour course 3 €375 Check dam stone €266 Dam Check dam wood €156 Dam Coir roll €54 Metre Ditch/peat reprofilling €6.32 Metre Drain blocking peat plug €74 Dam Drain blocking timber dam €144 Dam Engineered ditch €577 Engineered ditch Erosion control (geotextile) €4 Square metre In-ditch wetland €410 In-ditch wetland Leaky dam €158 Dam Livestock crossing point €1,022 Crossing Restoration action machine €250 Unit 2 €500 Restoration action transport €40 Hour 30 €1,200 Sediment capture pond €317 Pond Swale €23 Metre Water retention structure in karst €376 Structure Wildlife pond €588 Pond 4 €2,352 Wildlife pond (with liner) €1,744 Pond 2 €3,488 LA name Payment per unit Action unit Max units Max payment Machine scrub removal area (high) €2,006 Hectare 10 €20,060 Machine scrub removal area (medium) €854 Hectare 25 €21,350 Machine scrub removal area (low) €360 Hectare 50 €18,000 Machine scrub removal area (high tyres) €2,590 Hectare 10 €25,900 Machine scrub removal 2m linear €0.77 Metre 5,000 €3,850 Machine scrub removal 2m linear (tyres) €1.09 Metre 5,000 €5,450 Area scrub removal hand tools high €14,784.90 Hectare 0.5 €7,392.45 Area scrub removal hand tools med €9,550.55 Hectare 1 €9,550.55 Area scrub removal hand tools low €4,022.16 Hectare 3 €12,066.48 Area scrub removal hand tools scattered €480.97 Hectare 15 €7,214.55 Strip 2m scrub removal hand tools high €2.69 Metre 5,000 €13,450 Strip 2m scrub removal hand tools low €0.96 Metre 5,000 €4,800 Strip 4m scrub removal hand tools high €5.28 Metre 4,000 €21,120 Strip 4m scrub removal hand tools low €1.82 Metre 5,000 €9,100 Track drainage €820 Cross drain 10 €8,200 New vehicle access track installation €5.98 Metre 1,000 €5,984.45 Track resurfacing gravel €2.99 Metre 5,000 €14,950 LA name Payment per unit Action unit Max units Max payment Culverts €476.22 Culvert 10 €4,762.20 Fencing barbed wire €2.60 Metre 3,000 €7,800 Fencing permanent electric €1.52 Metre 3,000 €4,560 Fencing sheep wire €3.44 Metre 3,000 €10,320 Installation of gates €185.61 Gate 10 €1,856.10 Installation of heritage gates €496.61 Gate 10 €4,966.10 Mobile cattle feed troughs €59.22 Trough 6 €355.32 Mobile feed storage bins €175.20 Feed bin 4 €700.80 Pasture pumps €289.04 Pump 10 €2,890.40 Rainwater catchers €716.84 Rain catcher 2 €1,433.68 Solar electric fencer unit €257.50 Solar fencer 6 €1,545 Solar pumps €1,852.50 Pump 2 €3,705 Water storage tanks €798.66 Tank 4 €3,194.64 Water troughs €290.66 Trough 10 €2,906.60 Finally, the following table outlines certain of the above LAs that are considered time sensitive. Depending on when the AWP is approved (by the issue of an approval letter), the applicable LA will be delivered in that year of approval, or can only be delivered the following year:
Agriland
05-06-2025
- General
- Agriland
Scorecards for ACRES 2025 payments sent to advisors
Scorecards for lands for results-based payments under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) have been sent out to ACRES advisors this week. The department has also provided an updated version of the ACRES scorecard guidance document, which provides information to advisors on the way in which the lands concerned should be surveyed, and on the completion of the relevant scorecards. Advisors are being reminded that, for the scores submitted to be deemed valid and used in the determination of ACRES payments for 2025, they must be submitted by an approved ACRES advisor who has completed mandatory in-field scorecard training in 2025. Courses to provide this training are currently being provided, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said. There is also a specific introductory, basic scorecard training course being provided for those advisors who did not attend a mandatory ACRES scorecard training course in 2024 (for example, where an ACRES advisor has only been approved as such since summer 2024). When completing the Scrub/Woodland scorecard on the AgriSnap photo app, advisors should only select either section A1-S (Scrub) or A1-W (Woodland), depending on the habitat type present. Advisors should also ensure that only the relevant section is completed. Entering information in both sections A1-S (Scrub) and A1-W (Woodland) will result in an inaccurate score and subsequently a delay in payments to farmers. All scorecards – both Co-operation Project (CP) results-based scorecards and scorecards for general actions – for each holding must be submitted within 14 days of initiating the first scorecard. The last day for submission of all scorecards to the department is August 31 each year, according to the specifications of the ACRES programme. Once an ACRES scorecard has been submitted in full, it will not be possible to make further changes to the scorecard and it cannot subsequently be amended. Advisors are being told that it is therefore essential that they are 'fully satisfied' that scorecards are correct at the time of submission.
Agriland
04-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
ACRES payments ‘could be too little, too late' for future schemes
The issuing of delayed balancing payments for 2023 and 2024 under the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) 'could be too little, too late' for future agri-environment schemes, one farm organisation has warned. As the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine works towards getting ACRES payments out to farmers, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers' Association (INHFA) has said that the hold-up to these payments has caused 'irreparable damage' to both ACRES and similar schemes that might exist in future. Pheilim Molloy, the national chairperson of the INHFA, said that while recent progress made in getting balancing payment out is positive, it has nonetheless left many farmers in an 'unacceptable' position. He said: 'As we move into June and past the half point of ACRES programme we need to recognise that there are over 1,000 farmers that applied to join ACRES in November 2022 still awaiting their balancing payments. 'For these farmers and many more that have only been paid in recent weeks, the wait for their payment in addition to clarity on their overall payment is unacceptable.' 'Beyond these 1,000 farmers there are over 5,400 farmers still awaiting their first payment for 2024 which [amounts] to 10% of the 54,082 participants in the ACRES programme,' he added. According to Molloy, this has left these farmers 'in a vulnerable financial position, due to uncertainty around payment dates and the balance of their overall payment'. 'This will leave farmers reluctant to join future schemes, especially where there isn't a clear indication of what payment farmers can expect to get, as well as definite timelines around these payment dates,' the INHFA national chair added. The INHFA representative also cited concerns around habitat scoring for commonage farmers in the Co-operation Project (CP) areas. For these farmers, landscape actions (LAs) were included to assist farmers on improving their habitat score, but as of yet none of these actions have been made available. 'This is another example of farmers losing out due to the failures of the department, which has indicated that these actions will not be available until the second or third quarter of this year,' Molloy said. 'Based on ACRES deadlines it is reasonable to now assume that these LAs won't be available until at least September which will be too late to positively influence the habitat scoring that has already started on these commonages,' he added. 'For these farmers and indeed all other farmers in ACRES, the inability by the department to deliver on payment dates and the actions to support farmers will be the defining element of the scheme, as well as being a major factor in their decision to partake…in any future agri-environment scheme,' Molloy said.
