1,800 sign on for REPS 3
With REPS 3 more than six months behind schedule, participants are to have their payments backdated for three months, in partial recompense for income lost during the delay in finalising the scheme.
Gerry Gunning, Executive Secretary, National Rural Development Committee, IFA, said the decision to backdate the payments under the new scheme to March 1, 2004, had been sought by IFA, because of the delay for which farmers were not responsible.
The new scheme came into effect on June 1, with higher payments and some changes in the rules.
Farmers can qualify for €200 per hectare for the first 20 hectares, €175 per hectare for the next 20 ha, €70 per hectare for the next 15 ha, and €10/ha for the balance. For a 55 hectares farm in REPS, the annual payment comes to €8,550.
For the current year, €260m has been allocated to the scheme, and an allocation of €320 will be made available in 2005, to cater for the expected increase in participation.
Mr Gunning said that 1,800 farmers have already joined REPS 3, and the number is expected to show a steady increase as more farmers change over from REPS 2, and new participants enter the scheme, which will be even more attractive when the new Single Payment regime allows lower stocking levels.
The delay in making REPS 3 payments is due to computer difficulties caused by the heavy work load of issuing Single Payment details to farmers.
There are 11 basic measures which are compulsory in REPS 3. Measure A is compulsory for farmers who have commonage or other target area land. To achieve increased biodiversity on farms, there are 16 optional REPS 3 undertakings. Each farmer must select two. Any farmer who wants to come into REPS will find at least two of these conditions that will suit his or her farming system, according to the Department of Agriculture.
