ACRES extension to March 2025 for planting hedgerows and trees

Irish Farmers' Association rural development chairman John Curran said farmers have faced a number of obstacles to carrying out the work, including the lack of native supplies and very poor weather conditions.

The Department of Agriculture decision to extend the deadline to plant hedgerows under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is "the right call", farmers have said.

Irish Farmers' Association rural development chairman John Curran said farmers have faced a number of obstacles to carrying out the work, including the lack of native supplies and very poor weather conditions.

"It’s good to see some common sense applying to the situation," Mr Curran said. 

"We had raised this with the department and made a case for extending the deadline. 

"Farmers who are part of ACRES and who identified this measure want to establish hedgerows that will bring benefits. 

"That hasn’t been possible because of the conditions."

New deadline

The new deadline applies to tranche one of ACRES and covers the following: planting a new hedgerow; planting a traditional orchard; planting trees in riparian buffer zones; tree belts for ammonia capture from farmyards; and tree planting.

The department wrote to advisors in recent days, saying: "Where participants are unable to source adequate quantities of suitable hedgerow and tree plants to fully satisfy their ACRES tranche one commitments, an extension has been granted to the current establishment deadline. 

"Participants have until March 31, 2025, to establish their hedgerows and trees as set out in the specification document for each of the actions above. 

"All ACRES tranche one commitments for these actions must be fully satisfied by March 31, 2025."

Participants are urged to use this extension "wisely in a bid to plan accordingly to meet their planting needs in advance of the next dormant season".