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Agriland
6 days ago
- General
- Agriland
2 farms got '100% penalty' on BISS payments after refusing DAFM inspections
Two farms that refused Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) inspections last year received "a 100% penalty" on their Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments according to a new report. DAFM carries out a variety of farm inspections each year including those conducted on behalf of the local authorities under the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) for the Protection Waters Regulation. In 2024, DAFM carried out 621 farm inspections on behalf of local authorities, during which it detected "regulatory breaches" in 157 farms. These breaches led to penalties ranging from 1% to 25% of BISS payments for 116 farms and two farms that refused inspections received a 100% penalty on their BISS payments. According to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) the non-compliance rate in 2024 reported by DAFM following these inspections was 25% - down from 30% in 2023. The EPA's National Agricultural Inspection Programme Summary Report for 2024 also highlights that most local authorities increased their farm inspection activity in 2024. Following these inspections a total of 1,621 "corrective actions" were requested by localauthorities last year, chief among these were requests to "provide control measures for farmyard manure (FYM) runoff, repair or replace gutters/ downpipes, control silage effluent or divert to suitable storage, divert soiled water to suitable storage and move FYM storage to suitable location". Further information was also requested by local authorities on 305 occasions - typically in relation to slurry collection and storage, control of soiled water, management of FYM and for discharges that could adversely impact water quality. Source: EPA The number of compliance letters issued to farm operators and landowners by local authorities rose sharply from 398 in 2023 to 1,484 in 2024. Three prosecutions were initiated and a further one was concluded by local authorities in 2024 similar to 2023 when five prosecutions were reported. According to the EPA Local authorities must "take a stronger enforcement approach to the implementation of the GAP Regulations". The agency said this includes taking "appropriate enforcement actions and follow-up inspections to restore compliance". It has also warned that "the EPA will continue to monitor how local authorities utilise their full range of enforcement powers".
Agriland
11-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
DAFM: ‘Most complex' ACRES cases to be finalised this month
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has reiterated that the 'most complex' payment cases under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) will be dealt with this month. This is according to the latest update from the department which shows that a total of almost €494.8 million has been paid to ACRES participants as of Monday (June 9). Just under €246.3 million is in respect of participation in the Scheme in 2024, while almost €248.5 million relates to participation in 2023. ACRES is the €1.5 billion flagship agri-environmental scheme provided under Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027. However, the scheme has been the subject of intense criticism due to the delay in payments being issued to farmers. Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Martin Heydon has previously expressed his frustration around the delays. ACRES According to DAFM, balancing payments in respect of participation in the ACRES scheme in 2024 commenced on May 15, 2025. The most recent payment run of June 6 paid €278,732 to a further 603 participants. This brought the total paid in balancing payments in respect of 2024 to almost €34.6 million, to 45,715 farmers. The department said that this means that almost 85% of all participants are up to date with payments. Advance payments, in respect of participation in the scheme in 2024, were made on June 9 to 37 farmers, with those payments amounting to €151,671.66. This payment run brought total 2024 Advance payments to almost €211.8 million, paid to 49,350 farmers, or over 91% of all ACRES participants. However, DAFM acknowledged that advance payments in respect of scheme participation in 2024 have still to be made to 4,680 ACRES participants across tranches 1 and 2. Of these 4,680 participants, 837 are also awaiting their balancing payment in respect of 2023, as that must be paid before the 2024 advance payment may be made to them. DAFM added that advance payments for 2024 will continue to be made on a weekly basis. Payments In relation to participation in ACRES in 2023, balancing payments were made to 112 farmers on June 9 totalling €91,130/ This brought the total paid in respect of participation in ACRES in 2023 to just under €248.5 million, paid to 43,955 participants, or over 98% of participants. A total of 837 farmers have yet to receive their final payments for 2023. Of these, 600 have already received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000, respectively. The department said that in many instances, this will cover the entire amount of the payment due. DAFM said that it is continuing to progress the contracts awaiting final payment in respect of 2023 and/or advance payment in respect of 2024, 'with the most complex cases to be finalised in June 2025 at the latest'. Balancing payments in respect of participation in ACRES in 2024 have now commenced, the department added. Delays According to DAFM, the issues which are impacting on the making of payments in respect of each year are primarily: Contract and ownership / partnership issues; Issues with scorecards (incorrect score, scorecards not submitted, alignment of scorecards with data from the Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS); Alignment of ACRES data with 2024 BISS information. 'The department is actively resolving the remaining issues through, for example, the development of the required IT functionality and the investigation of issues associated with specific contracts. 'The non-submission to date by participants, or by their ACRES advisors on their behalf, of certain returns also impacted on the making of advance payments to them in respect of 2024,' the department said.
Agriland
26-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
CAP must remain ‘a core EU priority'
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has said that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must remain a core priority for the European Union. The minister made the comments ahead of a meeting the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) today (Monday, May 26). The European Commission recently published a large package of measures designed to 'simplify the CAP and boost EU farmers' competitiveness'. However, a proposal understood to involve a radical overhaul of the EU budget has caused major concerns among farm organisations leading to protests in Ireland and Europe. CAP Minister Heydon said that the CAP is essential to a sustainable future for the agri-food sector. 'Stability and certainty should be a key focus in our consideration for the next CAP post-2027. We need to focus on keeping the full CAP toolbox available to support our farmers. 'That requires a dedicated and robust CAP Budget, with the full set of options under Pillar 1 and Pillar 2,' he said. The minister said he wants to work closely with EU Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen and his EU counterparts 'to ensure the importance of the CAP is well understood during the negotiations on the next EU Budget'. 'Equally, I will be making the point that we need a dedicated and sufficient budget line to support the seafood sector. 'The Commission's Vision for Agriculture and Food provides us with a strategic framework to plan for the sustainable development of the European agri-food sector, and a positive future for our farmers. 'I particularly welcome that the vision acknowledges the importance of the family farm model and the need to support its long-term viability. The design of the next CAP is of fundamental importance to delivering on that objective,' the minister added. The AGRIFISH Council will also hold a discussion today on the markets situation, including participation by Vitaliy Koval, the Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food. 'I look forward to hearing from Minister Koval and I will reaffirm Ireland's full solidarity with Ukraine and reaffirm our respect and admiration for the people of Ukraine after three years of terrible war,' Minster Heydon said. 'I also look forward to discussing how the administrative burden arising from the EU Deforestation Regulation can be reduced, and to holding bilateral meetings with my Austrian and Latvian counterparts,' he added.
Agriland
21-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
ACRES payment delays ‘source of great frustration' for Heydon
The Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Martin Heydon has expressed his frustration around payment delays for farmers in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). The minister was responding to a question in the Dáil last evening (Tuesday, May 20) from Fianna Fáil TD Albert Dolan about the reason for the delay in payments. 'Not a week goes by in which I do not have a farmer in east Galway contacting my office regarding the delays to ACRES payments. 'What has gone so wrong with ACRES payments? Why has there been such a delay? What lessons will be learned to ensure this does not happen again?' Deputy Dolan said. ACRES is the €1.5 billion flagship agri-environmental scheme provided under Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027. ACRES Minister Heydon said that 'payments in respect of farmers' participation in the ACRES scheme continue to issue on a weekly basis as cases pass all validation checks'. 'Last week, I announced that balancing payments in respect of the 2024 scheme year have commenced with more than €33 million issuing to 42,444 participants. 'A total of €490 million has issued since ACRES payments commenced at the end of 2023,' he said. 'However, I am acutely aware that others are still awaiting payments. This is a source of great frustration for me. I have been dealing with it since the minute I assumed this role. 'In the case of the 2023 scheme year, 97% of participants have been paid in full. As regards 2024, 90% of participants have received their advance payments and almost 88% of these have now received a balancing payment,' the minister added. Heydon said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is 'committed to resolving the issues that have been delaying the remaining payments as soon as possible and is making progress in this regard'. 'I know that is cold comfort if you are one of the few who still have not been sorted. We have made significant progress and built momentum, which I continue to do,' he said. Payments Deputy Dolan told the minister that it is important to show farmers that if they sign up for a scheme they need to be assured of payment on time. Minister Heydon said that when he took office it was not acceptable to him to 'meet so many farmers where in many instances, the fault was with the department'. 'In some instances it was with themselves for various reasons but in the majority of cases, it has been on our side. 'I have visited Johnstown Castle and have engaged directly with the officials. I have directed additional resources into the units. 'I have got down into the detail of the different cohorts and how they are affected. 'One reason it takes time to fix this is that I am not willing to have a quick fix that needs a manual intervention every year. 'I want to make sure that the resolution here means that this problem does not recur every year. That is why we are getting through this and I stick to the commitments I made previously to resolve this as quickly as possible,' he said.
Agriland
14-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
ICBF AGM views data on causes of falling carcass weights
The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation's (ICBF's) annual general meeting (AGM) took place on Thursday, May 8, in Portlaoise, Co. Laois. The event was attended by the ICBF board of directors, which includes representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM), farm lobby groups, artificial insemination (AI) companies, and cattle breed societies. Data on trends in the performance and the genetic composition of the national herd was presented at the event, as well as updates on ICBF finances. A presentation on cattle finishing trends outlined that the carcass weights of suckler-bred cattle has been generally increasing since 2010, but dairy x beef and dairy x dairy carcass weights have been declining. The data below outlines some of the key beef performance traits of cattle by breed type since 2010: Source: ICBF The AGM was told that suckler cattle quality is not declining because of the Euro-Star indices. It was also claimed at the meeting that the quality of beef cattle from the dairy herd 'has been declining', but that this is due to the decline in the beef merit of the dairy cow. Also noted at the AGM was the 3% drop in dairy cow numbers ,and the 6% drop in suckler-cow numbers in the past year. The graph and table below illustrate trends in cow numbers over the past decade: Source: ICBF On April 1, 2025, there were over 98,000 fewer cows in Ireland than on April 1, 2024, with 50,800 fewer dairy cows and 47,500 fewer suckler cows. ICBF financials It was outlined that while the ICBF is 'not for profit', it cannot be for loss either and so aims for a 2% margin to ensure it breaks even. A 2.1% margin was achieved in 2024. In 2024, the ICBF income was approximately 23.7 million, down from 23.8 million in 2023. Expenditure was described as 'steady' year-on-year at approximately €23.4 million in 2023 versus €23.1 million in 2024. In 2023, the ICBF surplus after tax was €428,000 versus €507,000 in 2024, resulting in a 2024 margin of 2.1%.
