New Acres scheme

I'd be more looking at how clever/attentive/motivated your planner is than trying to save a couple of hundred euro a year.

There is BIG money in some of these schemes and maximizing it whilst minimizing the inputs/work/cost would be the most important thing I'd imagine.

These guys are the key to our future viability as far as I can see.

That's why I left Teagasc several years ago - the new lad paid for that decision in one year.

The Teagasc guy was an absolute dunce who couldn't add, couldn't concentrate or remember details, couldn't see ways into schemes and balance the pros/cons against each other.

More than once I had to pull apart mine or my oul lads applications myself to sort out some glaringly obvious ****-up after him.

A good planner is critical to success these days.

Seems to be right ballpark, which is crazy, no farm visit for me.

You get to relax. New cap if you have 10k in entitlements 75% you get and the balance requires you to take/do 2 environmental actions ie plany trees or extensive stock etc. The GAEC SFN means that if your farm has 10 per cent space for nature you have done your 2 actions and that is that, Hedge is 15 metres wide under the scheme even if it is not; the IFA helped on that one.

.Already extended for nearly 3 weeks and you are still not ready. A joke surely? Submitted mine 24 oct

You really need to get control of your language. When a person is putting up a post like that it would be normal to state if there was a reason for their delay in applying. With Teagasc here, had no problem getting appointment even though I only transferred to them some months ago.For the past number of months we all knew that there would be a rush to get plans done . What would be posters position of there was no extension.?

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How did he think people on boards would know the answer? Dept would have been a better bet. I would hate to be dealing with you on a daily basis if you can fly off the handle so easily.

I think you reacted pretty sharply to the poster with a “I am alright jack” type attitude.

You were challenged and again tried to take a holler than you position mentioning “language”.

I suspect you didn’t mean your initial post to sound like it did but you ain’t improving your position with the current trajectory.

The Dept been terrible with Acres and the ag advisors been not great with Acres. The final spec and term and condition for the Scheme is only dated November 2022; google it and you will see the changes in red on the document. Know lots of lads not been able to get ag advisors to do scheme.

Circular from the Deot about ACRES only the 11th Nov and see they haroing on about redigitising land; another nightmare down the line for us all.

I returned the Teagasc expression of interest straight away after it arrived in the post. That was September I think. Heard nothing for weeks, rang the advisor I normally dealt with and the opinion I got was they were dealing with guaranteed Cat 1 applicants, but he said he would try to get to me. Heard nothing until this week and I was away. He is calling to me Monday .

You can apply for the fodder scheme yourself on Agfood.ie.

You need a planner to apply for Acres unfortunately.

Easy understand given the age profile of farmers and the fact that many part time farmers would not have side jobs that involve computer work.

Appreciate you are not a spring chicken (maybe you old day job involved being IT savvy or you went and learned it) but the exception proves the rule.

I am surprised that people use planners for the basic rather than a child/ nephew etc. Fear I guess.

5 or 6 years ago I forgot to do application for the BPS for my father…thought I had it done….. Only realised when the advance payment didn’t arrive. Had a few hoops to jump through to get it sorted in the end without penalty. Got some good advice.

I would take no notice of some older farmers, however most lads in the 50 now must be making bank payments or booking flights online.

Ya I spend the last 25 years of my working life using a computer/laptop to do some elements of my job. I would not call it IT or any sort of programing.

It harder to book a flight on Ryanair than to fill out your BPS form.

The only skill I have that is different is probably I worked in an area that changed fairly rapidly throughout my career and I had to change with it

I always needed it as well it was making repayments or putting kids through college. I spend 15 years making substantial payments on the farm.

I think it easier to fill out the BPS than it is to check in online for a flight. I see women that never worked anywhere near a computer do that.

The only time there is any change is when the scheme changes like next year. There may be tweaking to be done.

Last time the scheme changed the Teagasc advisor did not want to make changes I wanted to make in the area and take out an area with reed. I had an awful job reducing it to 30% department wanted to exclude the whole area two years later but there was small areas within it without reed that I managed to show them.tgat covered the 30%. So you need to be careful with them as well

Met with my planner this am, two parcels of land totalling 18ha, both are in the cooperation zone, his face dropped when he opened up the computer. He started with the basics, and I've ended up with what looks like 1600 quid quarenteed if I get in, with a further 2700 if I remember correctly "if" I score 4/10 or above in the flower based selection in lipp, I don't think I'll get this as even though the place is poor enough, between the stones there's good grass. I've never been so disappointed, I was thinking in my own head and not been greedy if I got 6k in total out of the possible 7500 I'd be very happy...., But realistically I'll be getting the 1600, Unfortunately now I've to wait for the department to make up there mind for the 3k that's ring fenced for the cooperation area to see what sorta stuff they will want done. To see I'm fed up is an understatement.

I would not be planting or managing hedges unless it suits.

Riparian zone, WBC plot and riparian margin here.

I have Dexters as well so tier 1 by that.

In the non cooperation zone.

That's a raw deal Anthony.