Department starts paying out €1.4m to farmers to directly address on-farm environmental issues
The first roll-out of NPI payments are set to commence to 588 farmers.
It has been announced that payments have commenced for the Non-Productive Investments (NPIs).
NPIs are implemented by participants in the Co-operation approach of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Making the announcement, minister of agriculture, Martin Heydon, said: “This is one of the new, more ambitious elements of ACRES where participants are being paid to directly address on-farm environmental issues and funding is available to support tailored actions undertaken by farmers.
"The environmental benefits of these investments should allow participants to increase their payments through an increase in their results-based payments.”
Over €1.4m will be paid to 588 farmers in this round of payments. Other NPI claims received are currently being processed, with roughly 1,200 claims submitted so far.
Continuing, the minister said: “I encourage all ACRES Co-operation participants who have implemented NPIs to submit their claims as soon as possible. Farmers can submit claims themselves. Or the claim may be submitted by their ACRES advisor.”
Highlighting the value of NPIs, the minister added: “I want to again encourage farmers in the ACRES Co-operation zones to engage with their ACRES advisors and their local ACRES Co-operation Project Team, in advance of the next NPI application opportunity, to look at the range of NPIs available to them and assess the potential for enhancing their land and increasing scores.”
