Less than 7,000 farmers apply to join AEOS 2 land use scheme

FEWER than 7,000 farmers have applied to join the land use scheme AEOS 2, with pressure mounting on the Government to pay out €8 million due to up to 9,000 farmers for last year’s scheme.

Teagasc has processed just 1,000 schemes this year, compared to the 2,500 forms it dealt with for the first AEOS scheme.

IFA rural development chairman Tom Turley said the indications were that only 7,000 farmers will join AEOS 2. He said this was disappointing and clearly showed that farmers were not willing to enter into the scheme as set up by the Agriculture Minister.