I have expressed concern the ACRES scheme as designed is not delivering the expected support for farmers.
I am being contacted by farmers whose applications are now being checked by the Department of Agriculture scientists and the marking is coming in very low resulting in very poor outcome.
The value of grants being approved is very low and is nowhere near the average grant of €5,000.00 which was indicated by the Department when the scheme was launched.
This is very worrying for farmers who are relying on this scheme as part of their yearly cash flow. It is also a concern that the scoring by Department officials is not transparent and there is no visibility on the marking system.
At a time of severe increases in input costs and finance stress, the last thing for farmers is to be left with little or no income from ACRES.
The Department need to ensure the scheme is open and transparent to ensure a fair return for the farmer. A review and immediate action is required to ensure the scheme is flexible and delivers for farming.